FARMINGTON – On Tuesday morning a judge delayed sentencing a New Sharon woman convicted of a contempt of court charge after a jury found she had violated a 2010 court order that prohibited her from possessing animals.
Following a daylong trial on Nov. 16 in Franklin County Superior Court, Carol Murphy, 72, was convicted of contempt after a jury returned after 30 minutes of deliberation with a guilty verdict. The Class D misdemeanor conviction can carry a maximum sentence of up to 364 days in jail.
Justice William Stokes granted a stay of execution in sentencing Murphy until Friday morning. The delay came after Murphy asked Stokes to read through transcripts of her past court cases involving her convictions of animal cruelty in 2004 and 2010. The lifetime ban on possessing animals came with each of those convictions.
In 2014, neighbors alerted the district attorney’s office that Murphy was keeping animals at her home at 248 Lane Road. After securing a search warrant, the state’s Animal Welfare Department and law enforcement seized four dogs, five chinchillas, two rabbits, a pot-bellied pig and two cats from Murphy’s residence, according to testimony at the Nov. 16 trial.
In 2004 Murphy was convicted of animal cruelty after more than 50 animals suffering from severe neglect had been discovered on her property. In 2010, she was again convicted of animal cruelty after the state seized more than 40 animals found in varying degrees of poor health at her home.
She was also convicted of felony assault on an officer, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, and criminal use of an electronic weapon, after Murphy used a Taser on a trooper trying to serve a warrant in 2009 for unpaid court fines. She was sentenced to four years in prison.
On Tuesday, Murphy argued there was no warrant served when law enforcement and animal welfare representatives entered her home and seized animals in the first case in 2004.
“I was at work, there was no warrant, no process,” she said, adding “it violated the constitution.” She said since the second case in 2010 was based on the first case, “it should be void(ed).”
Attorney Margot Joly, serving as an assistant to Murphy who is acting as her own attorney, argued that Murphy’s previous cases “are extremely important to what happened to her.”
“I’m willing to review whatever you want me to before sentencing,” Stokes said to Murphy.
An 8:30 a.m. sentencing hearing was scheduled for Friday.
The lady needs help… I hope it is available..
Um….hello Glen..SHE DOES NOT WANT HELP.
She wants to buy herself more time so she can continue to “NOT CHANGE HER WAYS”.
She needs to be locked away…and I hope THAT is available.
Thank you, District Attorney, for stepping in, many of us appreciate your efforts for the animals who can’t speak for themselves!