Apr 20, 2010: Murphy to serve 4 years in prison for assault on officer, animal cruelty
By Betty Jespersen
Carol Murphy was sentenced Thursday in Franklin County Superior Court to four years in prison for assaulting an officer and animal cruelty. She was also ordered to serve 30 days for contempt of court after she repeatedly disrupted her trial on Wednesday and called the judge a vulgar name.
Because of her persistent and defiant resistance to court decisions and authority, Murphy’s sentence did not include a period of probation, according to Justice Michaela Murphy.
Carol Murphy, 65, of New Sharon, will spend the next four years at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, according to the Franklin County Detention Center.
“It is crystal clear to the court that she would not follow any directive from a probation officer and there was zero chance she would abide by any court order,” Justice Murphy said of her decision to not grant probation.
Murphy was found guilty in a one day jury trial Wednesday of assaulting an officer, a felony; resisting arrest; illegal use of an electronic weapon; and two counts of animal cruelty..." More
Mar 4, 2010: New Sharon Woman Found Guilty
A jury in Franklin County has found a woman from New Sharon guilty of animal cruelty and assaulting an officer with a stun gun.
Sixty-five-year-old Carol Murphy was being investigated on a complaint that she was hoarding animals at her home.
A year later she was found guilty of animal cruelty.
After that, Murphy was under a court order barring her from keeping animals.
In October 2009, a state trooper showed up at Murphy's home to see if she was sticking to the rules.
Court documents say she used a stun gun on him.
Murphy represented herself in court, berating the judge and calling the proceeding a "kangaroo court.".." More
Dec 29, 2009: Animals seized from home now in state's hands
BY BETTY ADAMS
More than 40 animals seized in October from the New Sharon home of Carol Murphy were awarded to the state after a civil hearing Monday in Kennebec County Superior Court.
"The court finds these animals were cruelly treated by Ms. Murphy," Justice Michaela Murphy said. "All were subject to conditions not humane or clean."
The judge's ruling clears the way for the animals to be adopted or sold.
Justice Murphy also agreed to the state's request for a lien on Carol Murphy's property, to pay for the cost of transportation and animal care.
"Hopefully we'll find adoptive homes for all of them," Norma Worley, director of the state's Animal Welfare Program, said after the hearing. "People in Maine are very generous when it comes to cruelty cases."
Carol Murphy, 65, faces three criminal counts of cruelty to animals and one criminal count each of assault on an officer, refusing to submit to arrest and criminal use of electronic weapons. She is accused of using a stun gun on a state trooper when he attempted to arrest her.
She has pleaded not guilty to those charges and to a separate charge of contempt of a court order for allegedly violating a lifetime ban on having animals as part of a judgment in an animal cruelty case in 2005.
Carol Murphy, who represented herself, arrived in handcuffs for Monday's hearing before Justice Michaela Murphy. A deputy removed the handcuffs, but the defendant remained in leg shackles for the hearing.
Murphy, 65, of 248 Lane Road, has been held since her arrest at the Franklin County jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail...." More
Oct 25, 2009: Seized animals found in Murphy's house, barn, yard
By Donna M. Perr
NEW SHARON — State animal welfare agents seized about 40 animals found mostly in the kitchen and living room at a New Sharon woman's residence on Oct. 15, according to an inventory list filed with the state's search warrant.
Carol Murphy, 65, was prohibited by the state from having animals, after a Franklin County jury found her guilty of cruelty to animals and possessing animals without a permit in 2005. The state seized nearly 70 animals from Murphy's 248 Lane Road property in that case.
Murphy was arrested Oct. 15, after a state police trooper presented her with a warrant charging unpaid fines/fees in connection with the 2005 case. Police say she used a stun gun to shock him. Trooper Aaron Turcotte was also following up on a complaint from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in regards to Murphy.
Murphy was charged in connection with the police incident and pleaded not guilty Oct. 16 to those charges, which included assault on an officer.
She remains at Somerset County Jail in Madison until she posts $10,000 cash bail or $100,000 worth of real estate. Murphy has the right to ask for her bail to be reduced.
There have been no criminal charges filed in connection with possessing the animals found Oct. 15.
Animals seized were eight cats and five dogs found in cages or loose in the house; a potbellied pig in a cage in the kitchen, and three turkey pullets and a guinea hen pullet in the kitchen, according to the inventory list. Three rabbits were in cages in the kitchen area, five birds, cockatiels, cockatoos and Amazon parrot-type, were found in cages in the kitchen and living room. Two chinchillas were found in cages in the living room..." More
Oct 17, 2009 Woman convicted of animal cruelty uses stun gun on trooper
Police say a 65-year-old New Sharon woman assaulted a state trooper with a 975,000-volt stun gun during an investigation into possible animal hoarding at her house on Lane Road.
Carol Murphy pleaded not guilty in Franklin County Superior Court on Thursday to assault on an officer, criminal threatening, refusing to submit to arrest and criminal use of an electronic weapon. She was being held at the Franklin County jail on $10,000 cash bail or $100,000 worth of real estate.
State Animal Welfare Program staff and Maine State Police seized at least 40 domestic and farm critters, including a donkey, two alpacas and a pot-bellied pig, at Murphy's house on Thursday.
"We found a lot of animals," Animal Welfare Director Norma Worley said. "Forty at minimal; maybe more."..." More
