Bear activist Catherine McCartney got some good news yesterday in Sussex County Superior Court. Judge Thomas Critchley dismissed a charge that could have lead to her serving 15 days in the Sussex County Jail. A $500.00 fine from a charge filed by the N.J. Division of Fish Game and Wildlife was not dismissed. The judge threw out the more serious charge because McCartney's attorney had her plead guilty to the wrong state statute in Vernon Municipal Court in February. While explaining his decisions in court Critchley told McCartney he didn't think what she did was "right headed" but he believed her actions were for "heartfelt reasons." All of the charges against McCartney were the result of an incident in Great Gorge Village. Where McCartney and another bear activist released a bear cub from a trap left by state wildlife officials.
Source: New Jersey Herald