The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Judge: No more animals for man
A Hartland Township man was told by Huron County Common Pleas Judge James Conway that he can’t own any more companion animals following his conviction for neglecting a small herd of horses on his property last year.
Charles Brown, 62, is prohibited from owning or having in his possession or on his property any animals of any kind, according to records of the Huron County Common Pleas Court.
When authorities were removing the horses as part of a search warrant on Dec. 16, Brown attempted to assault both of them with his vehicle on his way home and then attempted to assault Huron County Humane Society staff when he exited his vehicle at his property, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.
The Huron County Humane Society launched an investigation into the conditions of Brown’s property where he was keeping nine horses at 1101 Cook Road, according to the search warrant filed in December with the Norwalk Municipal Court.
The search warrant was the result of a prior visit to the property where emergency personnel rescued a horse Dec. 7 that had fallen in a well or cistern on the property.
The horse was saved, unharmed, but the poor conditions of the barn and its inhabitants came to the investigator’s attention and they immediately took action to remove the animals.
Daphne Nelson, an investigator for the Humane Society, wrote that she observed “seven other horses that appeared to be neglected for some time and were suffering unnecessarily as a result of that neglect,” according to the search warrant.
Nelson noted an absence of food, or containers for food or water, for the horses during her inspection of the property as well as a lack of pasture space, the warrant stated.
The horses were living in “muck” that was more than a foot deep and some of the animals were having difficulty walking, indicating prior injuries, the warrant stated.
The horses hooves also were significantly neglected.
During the investigation prior to the horses’ removal, one of them died, the search warrant stated.
As part of Brown’s sentencing, he is forbidden to make contact with any members of the Humane Society, court records stated.
During a July 27 hearing, Brown pleaded guilty to one count each of cruelty to animals, felonious assault, assault and failure to comply with order or signal of police officer, according to court records.
As part of a plea agreement, several other charges were dismissed.
Brown was sentenced by Conway at the same hearing, according to the court staff.
“Mr. Brown was sentenced to five years community control, days in the Huron County Jail to be served at times to be established by the Huron County Adult Probation Department or in the alternative, house arrest with electronic monitoring to be determined by the Huron County Adult Probation Department, at (Brown’s) cost,” stated the court.
Brown is facing nine months or more jail time if he fails to comply with the directives of his probation officer, the court records also stated.
The jail time was suspended at the hearing.
Conway suspended Brown’s driving privileges for three years and ordered him to pay a $250 fine and to reimburse the Huron County Humane Society for $239, according to the court.