- Who to believe, the sentenced or the justice system?
Criminal injustice is always a serious matter. But it somehow always seems so much worse when it’s targeted at older ladies.
Two Alabama women were recently found guilty on multiple charges. The bizarre part of the whole thing is that the debacle stems from them feeding stray cats.
Beverly Roberts, 85, and Mary Alston, 61, are well-known in the town of Wetumpka in Alabama. They regularly feed stray cats around town to capture them and take them in for neutering and adoption — at their own expense.
Wetumpka has a bit of an issue with stray cats. So, their defenders think Roberts and Alston provide a valuable service to the town.
The authorities, however, don’t see it that way. Although feeding stray cats isn’t illegal in Wetumpka, the ladies got arrested over the summer on trespassing charges.
Their arrest didn’t go exactly smoothly, and the two also got slapped with charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with governmental operations. On December 13, Wetumpka City Judge Jeff Courtney found Roberts and Alston guilty of all charges.
Both ladies received two years of unsupervised probation, alongside 10 days in jail — although the jail sentence was suspended. They also have to pay a fine of $100 and court costs.
Are they victims of judicial abuse? Or did they just fly off the handle on the scene? Let’s find out.
‘Y’all Have Three Cop Cars’
The arrests took place on the morning of June 25. Alston had arrived at a vacant lot in downtown Wetumpka, owned by Elmore County. Roberts had not yet shown up at that point.
Alston was sitting in her car between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Suddenly, she was approached by several police officers.
One of them was Officer Brendan Foster. Foster, noticing that Alston had some Fancy Feast with her, asked her why she was there.
Alston replied that she was there to feed and trap stray cats. Foster told Alston that she was trespassing and she should leave.
Footage from the time shows that three police cars had arrived at the scene.
“Y’all have three cop cars because I’m feeding cats It’s unbelievable,” Alston can be heard to say on the footage, according to AL.com.
When the cops returned to the lot later, they found Alston still there. At this point, Roberts had arrived there as well.
The latter lady already had a trespass order issued against her for feeding cats on the grounds of Elmore County Courthouse, so Foster promptly proceeded to arrest her. Videos show Roberts angrily throwing her keys into his hand and calling him a “son of a bitch.”
Alston, who tried to argue that feeding cats is legal in the town, soon also received a pair of handcuffs.
Feeding Cats or Not?
Officer Foster, the police, and Wetumpka authorities argue that the arrests were carried out according to the law. When the judge asked Foster at the trial whether he arrested the women for feeding cats, he said no, they were arrested for trespassing.
However, Roberts’ and Alston’s defense argued otherwise. According to them and their attorneys, the ladies were targeted, harassed, and abused by the police.
Another officer, Jason Crumpton, said he had received a call from the police department’s assistant chief, ordering him to arrest Roberts “for feeding cats.” According, that order originated from Wetumpka Mayor, Jerry Willis.
Roberts and Alston argued that Willis had it in for them because of their regular complaints about animal welfare in the city. However, the judge deemed this argument hearsay and wouldn’t allow it.
Representatives from local animal welfare organizations, including the Humane Society, also argued for Roberts and Alston. They testified that Wetumpka has a problem with stray cats and that feeding and trapping them had proven effective elsewhere in the country.
Even William Shashy, a retired Montgomery County Circuit Judge, weighed in. He believed the case is politically motivated.
Yet, Judge Courtney was unmoved and found the women guilty of all charges. When he asked them if they wanted to comment after the sentences were handed down, Roberts had something to say.
“I’m not the first person in Wetumpka to feed cats. People were doing it long before me. I just got caught,” she stated.
Judge Courtney responded that she wasn’t convicted for feeding cats.
“I know, because that’s not illegal,” she responded.
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