Crime & Safety
Judge Refuses To Issue Criminal Warrant Against Oconee County Resident Who Admitted To Shooting Cats
Judge ruled that the state animal cruelty law allows a landowner to defend his or her property from feral animals.
Oconee County Magistrate Court Judge Eric Norris last week refused to issue a warrant for the arrest of Douglas Lanier Orr on a charge of criminal animal cruelty for the shooting of cats, but Norris did fine the Broadlands Road resident $750 on five charges of code violation, also for animal cruelty.
Judge Norris ruled that the state animal cruelty law allows a landowner to defend his or her property from feral animals and that the evidence presented by Orr was that he was doing just that.
The county argued that Orr should have been charged with violation of state law, which prohibits cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, or aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony.
On Nov. 10 of last year the county cited Orr, 70, with five counts of animal cruelty under the Oconee County Animal Control Ordinance. The incident involved the shooting of five cats and their disposal in a trash bin.
Orr did not contest those non-criminal charges at the hearing on March 11 and was fined the $750 by Norris.
For more on the story, go to Oconee County Observations.
Pictured: Judge Eric Norris.