Trial pushed back to Jan. 18.
By: Leon Tovey
MONROE The trial of a township animal control officer charged by a state investigator with two counts of animal cruelty has been postponed until Jan. 18, a spokesperson for the Jamesburg Municipal Court said Wednesday.
Animal Control Officer Frank Faraone was originally scheduled to stand trial in Jamesburg Dec. 14. The trial date was moved back to allow Mr. Faraone’s attorney, Joseph Benedict of Benedict and Altman in New Brunswick, time for pre-trial discovery, the spokesperson said.
Matt Stanton, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Officer Faraone erred in ordering a cat euthanized on Nov. 2 without having it seen by a veterinarian.
However, township police maintain that Officer Faraone acted properly, consulting with a veterinary technician at the Sayrebrook Veterinary Hospital in Sayreville before ordering the destruction of the cat, which police said was old and sick.
A spokesperson for the Jamesburg Municipal Court said the trial was moved to Jamesburg because Officer Faraone is a Monroe Township employee and trying him there would be a conflict of interest.
If convicted, Officer Faraone could face a fine of up to $1,000 per charge and community service, Mr. Stanton said.