Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Murphy to serve 4 years in prison for assault on officer, animal cruelty

Sentence includes 30 days for contempt of court for disruptions during trial

By Betty Jespersen bjespersen@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Carol Murphy was sentenced Thursday in Franklin County Superior Court to four years in prison for assaulting an officer and animal cruelty. She was also ordered to serve 30 days for contempt of court after she repeatedly disrupted her trial on Wednesday and called the judge a vulgar name.

Because of her persistent and defiant resistance to court decisions and authority, Murphy’s sentence did not include a period of
probation, according to Justice Michaela Murphy.

Carol Murphy, 65, of New Sharon, will spend the next four years at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, according to the Franklin County Detention Center.

“It is crystal clear to the court that she would not follow any directive from a probation officer and there was zero chance she would
abide by any court order,” Justice Murphy said of her decision to not grant probation. 

 Murphy was found guilty in a one day jury trial Wednesday of assaulting an officer, a felony; resisting arrest; illegal use of an
electronic weapon; and two counts of animal cruelty.

Justice Murphy on Thursday also ordered a new lifetime ban on possessing animal. Carol Murphy has claimed a similar ban ordered in 2005 following a prior animal cruelty conviction was illegal. 

In October, the Maine Animal Welfare Program seized 45 dehydrated, emaciated and sick animals from Murphy’s Lane Road home that were found living in filthy cages without food or water, according to testimony in court.

The seizure was preceded by Murphy’s arrest by Maine State Trooper Aaron Turcotte on a warrant for failure to pay fines. When he
attempted to place her under arrest, Murphy applied a 975,000 volt electronic device to the officer’s neck in what Justice Murphy and
Assistant District Attorney James Andrews described as an unprovoked attack.

Turcotte had minor injuries and was able to use pepper spray to disable Murphy and place her under arrest, He testified she was laughing when she assaulted him, saying she had the right to kill him because he was trespassing and the arrest warrant was illegal.

She repeated those claims during her trial and was seen smiling when an audio tape of the attack, recorded by Turcotte's cruiser camera, was played for the jury, Justice Murphy pointed out during sentencing.