What Mary O'Brien did to the horses entrusted to her care is beyond understanding. And apparently, it is beyond the law. Today, as a result of the inexplicable lack of due diligence displayed by the Assistant District Attorney assigned to prosecute Ms. O'Brien, who had been charged with 56 counts of animal cruelty for what she did to the horses and cows on her farm, Mary O'Brien walked out of jail, free.
Assistant DA Kim Crockett accepted O'Brien's guilty plea to a single misdemeanor charge, without ever hearing the compelling evidence from the attending veterinarian or any of the others who have dedicated themselves not only to saving and identifying O'Brien's equine victims, but to documenting the extent of their injuries.
ADA Crockett never bothered to study the voluminous case file. She never reviewed the photographs of the suffering horses, and astonishingly, she never bothered to interview veterinarian Dr. Christine Bridges, or the local Animal Control officer, or Deputy Scott Myers from the Sheriff's office, who have been painstakingly working this case to ensure that Ms. O'Brien would receive punishment commensurate with her crimes. Instead, ADA Crockett deemed that the misery of the 56 horses who were ruined at the hands of Mary O'Brien was worth nothing more than a $1000 fine and a slap on the wrist. Something is terribly wrong here.
Equine advocates in West Virginia and beyond are outraged, and for good reason. People involved in rescuing and rehabilitating the horses are reeling. Tonight, Dr. Bridges has issued a statement in which she strongly condemned this miscarriage of justice:
"A hearing was scheduled today for the case, but before this could take place, a plea status hearing was conducted with only the public defender, prosecuting attorney (Kim Crockett) and the magistrate. Not a single person from the case was present, including the investigating officer, Animal Control, or myself. We actually showed up for the hearing and were told it was over.
The only information the prosecuting attorney had was the warrant for the arrest. She has never even seen the case file or a single record or photo from the case. In addition, she never spoke with the investigating officer, Animal Control, or myself. Basically, she prosecuted a case without even looking at the evidence and then the magistrate agreed to the plea bargain without anyone being present or at the least, consulted.
What a disappointment this judicial process has been. This was a very well documented case of animal cruelty. Both Animal Control and the Sheriff's Department did their jobs. At least eight horses died or had to be euthanized from starvation and neglect in this case."
Dr. Bridges will conduct a press conference at 11am Friday, October 22nd on the steps of the Berkeley County Circuit Courthouse at 400 West Stephen St., Martinsburg, WV to demand answers from the Chief Prosecutor's office. She asks for the support of everyone who believes that the person responsible for the suffering of 56 horses should be held accountable for the misery she has wrought..
Any human who tortures or mistreats or neglects an animal causing pain and suffering, dismemberment and/or death, participates in authorized or un-authorized research, with or without federal funding, withholds food & water and/or medical care is guilty of animal cruelty, an offense punishable to the absolute maximum permitted by law.
This is America, remember us? More is expected from any public official - either that, or this person does not fulfill the ethical, moral or democratic principles it demands.
This is one more very good example of where and how the leadership fails, and conributes to the breakdown of our society. Lack of judgement officials must ultimately be voted out of office. If positions are appointed, a deeper scrutiny must take place. The mission of our country demands it.
