Patricia Z. Douglas, 48, stood trial in McCreary District Court last Wednesday.
She was arrested November 21 of last year and charged with 19 counts of second-degree animal cruelty as well as resisting arrest and first-degree disorderly conduct after authorities seized 19 small-breed dogs — primarily Yorkshire terriers, Dachshunds and Chihuahuas.
The flea-ridden animals were kept in tight, unsanitary quarters at Douglas’ Bethel Road home. Many were reportedly malnourished and pregnant.
In court, Douglas was convicted of six counts of animal cruelty as well as the disorderly conduct charge. Judge Fred White ordered her to pay a $500 fine for the animal cruelty counts and $50 for disorderly conduct in addition to $133 in court costs.
The case was brought to the attention of local authorities by the Corbin-based animal rights group called Justice For Abused Animals (JFAA).
Just hours before her local arrest, Douglas — under the name of Patricia Burko — had entered an Alford plea in Knox District Court to second-degree animal cruelty in connection to a May 2013 investigation. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that enough evidence exists to convict if the case goes to trial.
In Knox County, Douglas/Burko received a six-month sentence which was probated for two years. While it is unclear at press time how this latest conviction affects that sentence, JFAA posted on its Facebook page that she could have broken her probation terms with the outcome of the McCreary case.
JFAA also thanked McCreary County Deputy Sheriff Jerry Meadows and County Attorney Austin Price for their hard work.
(McCreary County Record - November 6, 2014)
No comments:
Post a Comment