Attorneys/Judges
| Defense(s): | Brett Newkirk |
CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #12931 Rating: 2.9 out of 5
50 dogs living in squalid conditions, seized
Salem, NH (US)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 14, 2007
County: Rockingham
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Christine Harris
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
About 50 dogs and two exotic birds seized from a condemned mobile home in September are being put up for adoption.
Their former owner, Christine Harris of Salem, was found not guilty yesterday in Salem District Court on a simple assault charge of shoving a tow truck driver in front of her home last fall. She was found guilty of five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, but is appealing that decision.
Harris, 54, said the town has harassed her for years because she has routinely beat court actions brought by town officials who cited her for squalid conditions inside her home.
The latest action came in September when Animal Control Officer Kelly Demers removed animals from her home after the town's health officer ruled that the building had to be condemned because of the poor conditions.
After the animals were seized in September, three area animal groups have cared for the dogs.
The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals initially helped Salem officials move the dogs to its facility, according to Steve Sprowl, an animal cruelty investigator with the agency.
The NHSPCA took 17 dogs and one of the birds. The other animals are being kept by the Monadnock Humane Society and the Salem Animal Rescue League.
Sprowl said the agency sent mail to Harris three times to notify her she could take her dogs back if she paid for their housing and medical bills.
"Our bill was about $17,000," he said. "Another agency was $28,000 and a third place had a $4,000 bill for her," he said.
Harris faces up to a month in jail if her conviction is upheld. She was sentenced to six months in jail, five of which were suspended as long as she remains on good behavior.
In 2002, she was cited by town officials for having approximately 40 dogs in her home. She was required to tear down an unapproved addition to her home, but the case against her was ultimately dropped because she came into compliance with town building codes.
Harris is fighting eviction from her South Policy Street home in front of the state Supreme Court, which heard arguments for her case in April.
Case UpdatesA woman charged with animal cruelty who was at the center of a case that sparked attention to gun rights decided Wednesday she would rather go to jail than deal with the terms of a plea agreement.
Christine Harris was scheduled to take a plea deal and be given a 12-month suspended sentence on animal cruelty charges. But she withdrew her plea when the judge said he wanted to alter a portion of the sentence that would have prevented her from owning or breeding dogs for two years.
Harris was involved in a criminal threatening case in which Ward Bird, of Moultonborough, was sentenced to three to six years in prison. Bird was convicted of pulling a gun on Harris when she was on his property but always maintained his innocence.
Ward's sentence was commuted by the governor and Executive Council.
The unrelated animal cruelty case is from 2007, when Harris owned property in Derry. At the time, she had a trailer that was unheated and had no running water, and many dogs were found living there in unhealthy conditions.
When the judge told Harris that he wanted to indefinitely disallow her from owning dogs, she withdrew her plea.
"That means she will serve one month in jail," said prosecutor Karen Springer. "The original sentence was six months with five suspended and two years of good behavior. So she would serve up to 30 days. If she's of good behavior, she would actually serve 20."
The judge explained to Harris that he would allow her to petition the court with proof that she would be a good candidate to have a pet, but she still decided to withdraw her plea.
The case now goes back to district court, where there will be a sentencing hearing at a later date. | Source: wmur.com - Feb 23, 2011
Update posted on Feb 23, 2011 - 8:26PM |
Christine Harris, 57, has agreed to plead guilty to charges in Rockingham County Superior Court later this month, according to court papers.
She is facing five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty for keeping 47 dogs inside her trailer in September 2007.
Harris' case landed in superior court after she appealed her conviction in Salem District Court. It then went through roughly seven court-appointed lawyers, before her latest attorney, Brett Newkirk, negotiated the plea deal, according to court papers.
The terms of the plea deal, including the recommended sentence, has not yet been made public.
Before the deal was negotiated, Newkirk suggested in court papers that he might try to block the testimony about the amount of ammonia which built up to toxic levels while the dogs were living inside the trailer.
Steve Sprowl, an animal cruelty investigator, claimed in a report to Salem police that after he took samples from inside Harris' home, he concluded that, "ammonia in this concentration can cause brain damage in humans and to animals."
Aside from the criminal charges, Harris may still face further legal action.
Lawyers for the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals have been allowed to join the case. The NHSPCA claims that Harris owes the organization $17,415 to cover food, shelter and medical expenses for the animals.
Harris, who now lives in South Carolina, is expected to appear in court on Feb. 23. | Source: newhampshire.com - Feb 9, 2011
Update posted on Feb 10, 2011 - 11:18PM |
A former Salem woman whose name has become well known because of the ongoing drive to free Ward Bird from jail is still facing her own legal troubles with an animal cruelty case.
After two years, an appeal and seven court-appointed lawyers, Christine Harris, 57, appears to be headed to trial in Rockingham County Superior Court in early January on animal cruelty charges.
She faces five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty for keeping 47 dogs inside her trailer in September 2007.
Harris is also known as the woman who in March 2006 was ordered by an armed Bird to get off his Moultonborough property, which was marked with no-trespassing signs.
A jury found Bird guilty last year of criminal threatening for waving a .45-caliber handgun at Harris while telling her to leave his property.
More than 100 House members have signed a petition asking Gov. John Lynch to pardon Bird, who is now serving his sentence in county jail.
Bird's mandatory three-year prison sentence -- dictated by state law -- has set off a debate about gun ownership and property rights.
More than a year after being caught up in the Bird case, Harris' home was condemned by Salem's health officer and her dogs removed from her trailer on South Policy Street in Salem. The dogs included pugs, Boston terriers, miniature pinschers, an English bulldog and mixed breeds.
The defense may try to block the testimony about ammonia that built up to toxic levels while the dogs were living inside the trailer, according to court documents.
Steve Sprowl, an animal cruelty investigator, claimed in a report to Salem police that after he took samples from inside Harris' home, he concluded that, "ammonia in this concentration can cause brain damage in humans and to animals."
Court papers show that at least four of the court-appointed lawyers were allowed to leave the case after citing a potential conflict by representing Harris.
Lawyers for the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals have been allowed to join the case. The NHSPCA claims that Harris owes the organization $17,415 to cover food, shelter and medical expenses for the animals.
Harris, who now lives in South Carolina, is scheduled for trial the week of Jan. 10. | Source: unionleader.com - Dec 20, 2010
Update posted on Dec 21, 2010 - 12:21AM |
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