Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Diane Sawyer get real!!
I first heard about this on Good Morning America. I was thrilled to see this offense get some air time. However, Diane Sawyer asked something to the effect 'does this punishment fit the crime, since cats often spend all night out in the wild anyway' Um.. Diane.. Nine of these cats DIED! Do ya think they were meant to live outside?? Yes, cats live outside, but their survival rate is atrocious. You know, thinking about it, there are humans who live outside all the time too.. They are called the homeless. Diane Sawyer needs a good education on the plight of homeless pets.
OHIO JUDGE RULES THAT WOMAN WHO
ABANDONED CATS WILL SUFFER THE SAME FATE
The News-Herald, Nov. 18, 2005 -- Michelle Murray will now have
the opportunity to experience what the dozens of kittens felt the
night she abandoned them at two Lake Metroparks in September.
Painesville, Ohio, Municipal Court Judge Michael A. Cicconetti
on Thursday sentenced Murray, 25, of Painesville Township, to jail
time.
But he added a stipulation to ensure that Murray "suffer the
same consequences as those kittens."
"You can listen to the coyotes, hear the raccoons in the dark of
night," said Cicconetti, who grew increasingly annoyed at Murray's
apology attempts in court.
On the night before Thanksgiving, when Murray reports to the
Lake County Jail in Painesville, she will be forced to spend a night
alone in a remote area of a Lake County Metropark, according to
Cicconetti sentence. Being allowed only water, she will not be
provided with food, beverage or shelter.
Murray must remain in that location until "the light of dawn on
Nov. 24," according to the sentence.
Ranger Chief Mike Burko said he has not yet chosen the
Metropark, but will provide her with a walkie-talkie in case of
emergency.
Cicconetti, known for his unusual sentences, gave Murray the
maximum sentence of 90 days in jail. But the judge suspended 60 days
and allowed 15 days to be served under house arrest. After returning
from the wild on Thanksgiving, she will serve 14 days in the Lake
County Jail.
The suspended jail time hinges on two conditions:
1) Murray may not own or care for any animals in the next three years.
2) She must pay $3,200 to the Lake County Humane Society and
$500 to the Metropark rangers for costs they incurred due to her
actions.
"I'm sorry. I truly am sorry. I never meant for any of this to
happen," Murray told the judge before the sentence. She said she
tried to contact the Lake County Humane Society, but eventually
panicked after three cages of cats were dropped off at her home.
"It doesn't make any difference," the judge said. "People panic
and commit crimes, they use drugs, they commit domestic violence.
But this wasn't one incident. You did it again the next day."
Murray admitted to using another alias on a Web site to try to
adopt out another stray cat since she pleaded guilty to abandoning
domestic animals on Oct. 13. She said she used the fake name because
nobody would take a cat from her if she used her own name. That cat
was eventually adopted by the Humane Society, but was so ill, it was
euthanized the day it came in.
Candace Hertzel, executive director of the Lake County Humane
Society, said 15 of the kittens that were rescued had been adopted.
Twelve still remain without homes.
"We're very pleasantly surprised by the sentence. It's a small
piece of justice suffered for some of these already deceased
kittens," Hertzel said outside the courtroom following the sentence.
Prosecutor Russ Meraglio said he was pleased as well. He had
recommended jail time for the second-degree misdemeanor.
Sharon Moten, who gave a mother cat and four kittens to Murray
10 days prior to her abandoning the animals, still felt the guilt of
not knowing the fate of all of her cats.
"I told her to call me if she couldn't handle them," Moten said.
She hoped the sentence would prompt donations to the Humane Society.
"It's one of the only ways I can feel better about what
happened," she said.
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wtf was she even thinking. all those poor kittens *huggles* Good for that judge!
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