Attorneys/Judges
| Judge(s): | Peter W. Steketee |
Hoarding - 77 animals seized
Woodbridge, VA (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010
County: Prince William
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Janet L. Hollins
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A Woodbridge woman has been charged with 77 counts of animal cruelty after police searched her home and found 77 animals, authorities said Friday.
Authorities seized 27 dogs and 50 cats Aug. 4 from the home of Janet L. Hollins, 51, of the 3500 block of Buffalo Court, according to a Prince William County police news release.
Police and the Animal Control Bureau also recovered computer equipment and documents in connection with their investigation, according to authorities.
Case UpdatesJanet Hollins' heart is in the right place, Prince William General District Court Judge Peter W. Steketee said. But her actions in taking care of 77 animals in her Dale City townhouse were not right, he said.
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Hollins, 52, was charged with 77 counts of animal cruelty, a class 1 misdemeanor, after animal control officers searched her house on Buffalo Court and seized 27 dogs and 50 cats.
Today, on the second day of her trial, prosecutors amended the charges to class 4 misdemeanor charges of inadequate care of an animal by an owner.
Steketee found Hollins guilty of all 77 reduced charges.
For each charge, Steketee sentenced Hollins to a fine of $250, with $225 suspended.
She will have to pay a total of $1,925 in fines.
The judge also ordered Hollins to serve 10 years of probation. For the first 3 years, Hollins will be prohibited from owning pets.
During the trial, defense attorneys argued that Hollins, who operated Janet's Rescues and Placements, provided adequate care for all of the animals in her home.
About 40 of Hollins' supporters attended her trial Thursday and about 10 returned to hear the verdict Friday. Most were wearing lime green "I Support Janet" stickers.
Steketee said he thought Hollins had good intentions when she started her rescue, but she had too many animals in her care.
"Certainly the cause you support was a noble cause," Steketee said. "Your heart was where it needed to be."
Pictures shown during the trial showed clutter, food and animals in several rooms of Hollins' home. Witnesses said the house smelled strongly of cat urine.
Steketee said the evidence was "overwhelming" that Hollins "failed to provide for these animals adequate shelter that is proper and clean."
Steketee said he prohibited Hollins from owning animals for three years so that she can have time to prepare to own animals again.
"I truly think you need three years to get your act together," he said.
Steketee said Hollins can help other people care for animals during the three-year period but cannot own her own.
Hollins said she currently has eight cats in her townhouse. She said she also provides care for other neighborhood cats.
The judge gave her 30 days to remove the cats from her home.Hollins has 10 days to appeal her case to the Circuit Court, if she chooses to do so. | Source: insidenova.com - Oct 29, 2010
Update posted on Nov 1, 2010 - 10:19AM |
Is she an animal lover with an untidy, pet-filled home or a neglectful business owner?
That is what a Prince William County judge is expected to decide about Janet Hollins.
After more than five hours of testimony Thursday and a closing argument by the defense, the case will wrap up today in district court with a verdict.
The head of Janet's Rescues and Placements, Hollins has been charged with 77 counts of animal cruelty after police and animal control officers raided her Dale City home on Aug. 4.
Police searched Hollins' home, at 3522 Buffalo Court in Dale City, on Aug. 4 and seized 27 dogs and 50 cats. They also took seven boxes containing adoption papers, animal medical records and pet pictures, and a computer, according to court records.
On Thursday, nearly 40 of her friends and neighbors attended the trial, most wearing stickers supporting Hollins and her rescue efforts.
If she is guilty of anything, it's for caring too much for her pets, said her friend Karen Brain before the trial started.
"Janet is not a cruel person," said Brain, a Dale City pet owner who first met Hollins five years ago as a foster care pet owner. "She loves animals and takes care of them."
Many of Hollins' friends stayed till the end of Thursday's proceedings that included a host of attorney objections and legal advice from the judge, alongside testimony from seven witnesses.
In its closing argument, the defense argued the prosecution had not met the burden of proof for animal cruelty, and said they focused too much on the state of Hollins' home instead of actual signs of cruelty.
In its rebuttal, the prosecution argued that the conditions the animals were living in, along with expert witness testimony from the county shelter veterinarian, were enough proof that Hollins was cruel to the animals.
Pictures submitted as evidence during the trial showed clutter, food and animals in several rooms of Hollins' home.
Witnesses for the prosecution testified that cats lived inside mattress box springs and that cats traveled through holes in the basement laundry room ceiling.
Eyewitnesses, including police and animal welfare, testified the house smelled so strongly of cat urine that their eyes watered.
Witnesses for the defense, including a veterinarian that Hollins had been using for several years, as well as an volunteer high school student, claimed the home smelled no worse than a typical house with animals and that the animals were looked after and given plenty of attention on a daily basis. | Source: insidenova.com - Oct 28, 2010
Update posted on Oct 28, 2010 - 11:53PM |
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