FARMINGTON – A Superior Court justice Thursday sentenced a New Sharon woman to six months in jail for inhumane treatment of nearly 70 animals, including cats, dogs, horses, birds, sheep and hedgehogs.
Justice Joseph Jabar suspended all but 24 hours of Carol Murphy’s sentence, but permanently prohibited her from possessing any animals and gave her one year probation.
Murphy, 61, also has to pay $3,174 in restitution, pay a $2,000 fine and undergo psychological screening and evaluation.
Jabar told Murphy she made it “very difficult” to sentence her without a psychological evaluation. Murphy, who was found guilty in March of one count of cruelty to animals and four counts of possessing animals without a state permit, was ordered twice to undergo an evaluation. She showed up for the evaluation, but chose not to participate, Jabar said.
In March 2004, the state seized about 70 animals, citing inhumane treatment, from Murphy’s property. Many of them were living in her home in cages. According to testimony in the trial, several had died from starvation, dehydration and hypothermia.
Murphy claimed she was set up and that her animals were well-fed, kept clean and well-cared-for.
It is the “most horrific (animal abuse) situation I’ve every seen,” Jabar said of state photo evidence shown during the trial.
Jabar told Murphy that he gave her the 24 hours in jail so “that you realize there are consequences” for her behavior.
Murphy began serving her 24 hours in jail Thursday after she withdrew her request for a stay of execution pending an appeal.
Murphy told the court she planned to appeal her case and to sue state authorities and others involved.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson said prior to sentencing that the psychological examiner was able to do an assessment of Murphy using evidence and testimony during her trial, as well as letters and a document Murphy wrote titled “When Vultures Rule” that depicts judges, witnesses, state prosecutors and police authorities negatively.
Robinson said the state psychologist concluded Murphy fit the profile of animal hoarder.
An animal hoarder is a person who amasses more animals than he or she can properly care for and generally fails to recognize or refuses to acknowledge when their animals become victims of gross neglect, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
The psychologist recommended that Murphy be prohibited from possessing animals and undergo mental health treatment, Robinson said. The psychologist also recommended that if Murphy was allowed to have animals that they be spayed or neutered.
Robinson recommended that Murphy be ordered to pay restitution of $3,174 to cover the cost of care for animals seized from her property, and also recommended a lifetime prohibition against possessing animals.
Robinson said it also was abundantly clear that every public employee involved in the case “has been raked over the coals” by Murphy and that she has made it painful for those people to do their jobs.
Norma Worley, state animal welfare director, told the court Thursday that Maine citizens have made it abundantly clear that they will no longer tolerate animal cruelty.
She asked the court to protect the animals by banning Murphy from ever again owning animals.
Murphy’s attorney, Andrews Campbell, defended his client and said she paid thousands of dollars in veterinarian bills and had grain bills to prove she had fed the animals. Campbell said Murphy suffered financially and mentally during the case.
He asked that Murphy be allowed to own 15 animals.
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