Judge delays sentencing to see mistreated horses

Facebook Twitter Reddit Digg E-mail Print Rss

PORT CLINTON — The sentencing for an Oak Harbor woman convicted of 42 counts of animal cruelty has been postponed until the Ottawa County Municipal Court judge can view the affected horses.

Judge Frederick “Fritz” Hany seeks to see “as many horses as is practical” of the 36 animals that were in the care of Robin Vess, 55, until a Jan. 29 raid.

The sentencing set for Friday was postponed to July 16.

The judge decided the visits are necessary “in order to better understand the nature and circumstances of each case and to achieve the overriding purposes of Ohio's sentencing laws,” a court news release said.

Ohio law permits a maximum jail sentence of 18 months because all of the charges are misdemeanors.

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.