EL PASO, Texas -- After 40 minutes of negotiating outside the courtroom between lawyers with District Attorney's Office and Sgt. Dwayne Sumter's lawyer, the former Fort Bliss soldier enters two guilty pleas.

Thirty-year-old Sumter went before Judge Julie Gonzalez and said he failed to report to his probation officer, failed to comply with family counseling and is guilty of animal cruelty charges.

"He took accountability for his actions and we believe the court was just today," said Sumpter's attorney, Jorge Rivas.

The judge sentenced him to 120 days in county jail to be served on the weekends. As KFOX reported, Sumter was placed on probation after an assault against his wife in March of 2007. When he was charged for animal cruelty for leaving his pit bull to die in his garage, he violated his probation once again. KFOX asked Rivas why Sumter abandoned his dog.

"Here's the point. There are a lot of mitigating circumstances and a lot of things that were actually happening during that time. It was tragic," said Rivas.

KFOX asked Sumter himself for answers but he didn't want to talk. Sumter will begin his 120-day sentence on Sept. 26.