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Carol Murphy found guilty of animal cruelty and assaulting officer

Jury reaches verdict in 30 minutes

By Betty Jespersen bjespersen@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – A Franklin County Superior Court jury today took 30 minutes to find Carol Murphy guilty of animal cruelty and assaulting an officer with a stun gun. 

The New Sharon woman was also found guilty of refusing to submit to arrest and criminal use of an electronic weapon.
A discussion on her sentence and also on possible criminal contempt of court charges is set for 9 a.m. Thursday in the Franklin County Courthouse.

Murphy, 65, who represented herself,  repeatedly interrupted the court proceedings, claiming it was “kangaroo court” and was being
conducted illegally. She also called for Justice Michaela Murphy to step down, called her a derogatory name, interrupted her and
several times attempted to talk over her as the judge directed her to respect the court.  

Carol Murphy said she had named Justice Murphy as one of several defendants in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston and that the judge must step down because she was biased.

  At 11:30 a.m., without warning or comment, Carol Murphy walked into the adjoining conference room, a move that caused a flurry of activity among the extra security guards assigned to the case, corrections officers and court bailiffs

Justice Murphy called for a lunch recess but Carol Murphy refused to return from the Franklin County Detention Center.  The jail administrator said Murphy told him the proceedings were illegal and she would not participate.

Justice Murphy ruled the trial could legally proceed without the defendant.

On October 14, Carol Murphy allegedly attacked Maine State Police Trooper Aaron Turcotte with a stun gun when he attempted to
arrest her on a warrant for unpaid fines on a prior animal cruelty conviction. He was also investigating a report that Murphy possessed animals in her Lane Road home, according to testimony. .

In 2005, Murphy was convicted of animal cruelty and a lifetime ban on possessing animals was imposed.

A search warrant carried out on Oct. 15 at Murphy's home on Lane Road by the Maine Animal Welfare Program staff. They seized 45 animals and state veterinarian Dr. Christine Fraser described feces-filled cages, and dogs, cats, a pot-bellied pig, exotic birds, turkeys, rabbits and other creatures that were dehydrated, emaciated, and suffering from lack of proper care.

The extensive list of defendants in Carol Murphy’s federal lawsuit includes Assistant District Attorney James Andrews; District Attorney for Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties Norman Croteau;  Norma Worley, the director of the Maine Animal Welfare Program; Fraser and Turcotte.

Carol Murphy said in court that the lawsuit charges they conspired to stop her from receiving due process of law and that they are running a criminal racket to seize her property.