Thursday, 17 May 2007 00:08
Fiddletown Couple Accused of Animal Abuse Appear In Court
This week the Fiddletown
couple accused of animal abuse made a court appearance in Amador County Superior
Court. The appearance in front of Judge Dave Richmond involved a plea agreement
that was reached between the defendants and the Amador County District Attorney’s
office. That plea
agreement was the subject of much discussion after it was discovered by the
DA’s office that they had illegally returned two of the allegedly abused horses
to their former owners, John and Krista O’Sullivan. The plea agreement
reached previously in the case reduced 5 felony charges of animal abuse to two
misdemeanor charges, dropped all charges against Mrs. O’Sullivan and returned
two of the horses to the O’Sullivan’s Fiddletown Ranch.
Once the district attorney’s office became aware that
the return of the horses was forbidden under state laws, the office asked the
Court for the plea agreement to be set aside and the horses removed from the
O’Sullivan custody. The defendant, John O’Sullivan asked that the
plea agreement be honored. This week that matter was
taken up in Court with Judge Richmond, who ruled that the plea agreement could
not stand because of the illegality of some of its terms. -Specifically,
the DA’s office had asked the Judge David Richmond to order the defendants to
return the two horses in their custody to Animal Control. Judge Richmond denied that
request. Whether the O’Sullivan’s can
ultimately keep the two horses, will be determined at the conclusion of the
case. The DA’s Office then asked
the Court to reinstate the charges against Mrs. O’Sullivan, as those charges
were only dismissed as part the plea agreement reached with Mr.
O'Sullivan. Now
the DA’s office will begin, almost from the beginning of the case, as will
Defendant John O’Sullivan. The original case never went to trial and O’Sullivan
once again faces the 5 felony animal abuse charges. The three horses
(now including a newborn foal) that were seized and turned over to the care of
the Foundation will remain there pending the final outcome of this case.