BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) — Reports about animal cruelty often prompt an emotional reaction among the public.
And now, it appears that some individuals charged with these crimes may be making an effort to keep their cases quiet.
Belmont County Hoof and Paw humane agents say they’ve seen, in several cases, defendants making last-minute changes in their scheduled court appearances.
Humane agents say it appears these defendants are trying to hide their cases from the news media and the public.
When it comes to court cases, they’ve got to understand that those judges are extremely smart. They’ve been public defenders before, they’ve been prosecutors before, they’ve been through the court system for many years. They know all the ins and outs and all the games that are played. So the best thing to do is make sure you show up on the court date that you are supposed to. The judge is not going to tolerate games.”
Julie Larish, Humane Agent, Belmont County Hoof and Paw
She urges defendants to realize it’s always better to obey the rules than to try to manipulate the system.