FARMINGTON — A New Sharon woman, who has twice violated judges’ orders not to possess animals and twice failed to appear in court, was arrested Wednesday.

Carol Murphy, 71, was being held Thursday on $1,000 cash bail at the Franklin County jail on a charge of failure to appear. She is expected to go before a judge Friday.

In 2005 and 2010, jurors found her guilty of animal cruelty for possessing 70 and 45 animals, respectively. In both cases, the court ordered her never to possess animals. Murphy claimed the first order was not legal because it was not put in the court’s sentencing paperwork.

On Oct. 1, 2014, Murphy was charged with contempt of court after police seized 14 animals, including dogs, chinchillas and a pot-bellied pig, in her possession. On Oct. 8, 2014, a Franklin County Superior Court judge in Farmington entered a denial of the charge on her behalf because she refused to enter one.

Murphy has filed several documents with the court, claiming it has no jurisdiction over her “void” case. She claimed the warrant the state executed at her residence at 248 Lane Road on Oct. 1 was unconstitutional and illegal, and that the seizure of the animals was illegal.

On Oct. 31, 2014, a judge granted the state’s request for custody of the seized animals and denied Murphy’s motion to dismiss the animal forfeiture case because Murphy did not attend the hearing.

Murphy also failed to appear in court in December on the contempt charge. A Franklin County judge issued a warrant for her arrest at the time.

She was arrested in another county earlier this year on a warrant charging failure to appear and was let go, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins previously said.

Murphy also failed to appear in court June 4 for docket call on the contempt of court charge and Justice William Stokes said if she did not show up June 5 for jury selection he would issue a warrant for her arrest.

“We are going to seek a significant amount of jail time,” Robbins previously said.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

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