Also known as: Mimi Business/Organization: Judges Choice of Ironwood Gender: Female Approximate Age: 71 Location: New Tripoli, PA (US)
HistoryApr 27, 2010 - New Tripoli, PA (US) Convicted: Puppy mill - 18 dogs neglected, AKC judges charged
Sentence: District Judge Rod Beck found Winkler, 71, and Deppen, 46, guilty of three cruelty counts against bichons frises, one cruelty count against a border collie and one count of operating an unlicensed kennel. Winkler was also found guilty of making a false statement to a dog warden.
A criminal conspiracy count against them was dismissed and Beck found Winkler and Deppen not guilty of the remaining charges, which included kennel violations and cruelty counts against other bichons frises and Neapolitan mastiffs at the kennel.
Each guilty count will result in a $200 fine, but they are much more damaging to his clients' reputation, their attorney, Patrick Reilly, said. Reilly said one cruelty count is "as bad as 100" for American Kennel Club judges and can affect a judge's standing for a decade.... more... | |