FARMINGTON – A woman scheduled to stand trial Monday in an animal cruelty case fired her attorney just minutes after Justice Joseph Jabar entered the courtroom.
After an hour of discussion in and out of the judge’s chambers at Franklin County Superior Court, the trial was postponed until March 1.
It was the second lawyer that Carol Murphy, 60, of New Sharon, has fired since the state seized more than 70 animals from her residence last March. The state alleges the animals were treated inhumanely.
Murphy is charged with one count of misdemeanor cruelty to animals and four counts of misdemeanor failure to have a license or permit for a Quaker parrot, peacock, pygmy hedgehogs and Russian tortoises.
The jury of six women and seven men, including one alternate, and the state’s witnesses were not in the courtroom during the discussions.
Murphy stood at the defense table, handed her attorney Walter McKee of Augusta a letter and told the court, “I’m firing Mr. McKee.”
Murphy said she paid him $5,000 and he had eight months to get the more than 35 witnesses she requested and to use the information she said is necessary to prove her innocence. She said she found out that he wasn’t calling any of her witnesses and not using the information.
Murphy said she was expected to put herself at the mercy of the jury.
Jabar said McKee was a “well respected” attorney, that it was a little late to fire him, and that the court would proceed with or without him.
Murphy told the judge she has called the American Civil Liberties Union and provided information on her case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
McKee told the judge that Murphy and he have had this discussion several times over the last eight months, and they disagree about how the case should proceed.
The evidence and the witnesses she wanted to use, McKee said, would not be in her best interest and some wouldn’t be permissible in court.
“I’m willing to discharge my duty,” McKee said.
Jabar called for an on-the-record hearing in his chambers to hear the evidence that McKee and Murphy disagreed about.
About 20 minutes later, court resumed.
Jabar asked Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson if he was willing to postpone the trial to March 1.
Robinson said the court had a tight schedule and he had several witnesses scheduled to testify, including one who had come from Presque Isle and others who have rearranged schedules to testify.
He also said Murphy had fired her previous attorney, Ronald Bourget, last year.
After more discussion, Jabar postponed the trial to March 1.
“You have two weeks to obtain another attorney,” Jabar told Murphy. “This is going to be your last opportunity.”
“It’s unfortunate we could not go to trial,” McKee said afterward. “I wish her the best of luck with another attorney.”
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