Sunday, July 17, 2011

Judges letting horse abuse case languish

By Donn Esmonde

Forget about throwing yourself at the mercy of the court. It’s time the court showed mercy to the animal-loving public.

State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Glownia can start by recusing himself from the Beth Hoskins horse-cruelty civil case that has dragged on for 16 months. Aurora part-time Town Justice Douglas Marky can also mercifully hit the accelerator on the criminal case against Hoskins, which has had more stops and starts than a morning commute down Delaware Avenue.

The judges have combined to turn what looks like a clear case of animal hoarding into a legal marathon that is nowhere near the home stretch.

A recent cat-hoarding case in Orchard Park took three weeks to legally resolve. For those not possessed of elephantine memories, the Hoskins case began in March—of 2010. SPCA investigators seized 73 Morgan horses at her Aurora farm, along with 51 cats, that allegedly lived in unsanitary conditions. Apart from the number of horses, the case is notable for Hoskins’ pedigree. Her parents own Curtis Screw, a $68 million-per-year machining business..." More

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