By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Princeton Animal Control Officer Mark Johnson has still not had his day in court on charges of illegally shooting two beavers in a park last spring.
At his last court hearing in Hamilton in December, the judge ordered discovery documents to be turned over to Mr. Johnson’s attorney. Those documents are in the hands of lawyers at Hill Wallack, the firm that handles Princeton Borough’s affairs, said David Henry, the Princeton health officer who oversees animal control, a shared service between the borough and township.
The borough is the lead municipality, which is why the borough’s law firm is representing Mr. Johnson.
The latest hearing, which was supposed to have been Jan. 12, was adjourned because of one of Hamilton’s prosecutors is also prosecutor for Princeton Township, said Mr. Henry.
The pre-trial hearing will be rescheduled at a later date. The case will remain in Hamilton with a different prosecutor.
”Because a lot of the prosecutors are part time they are in several municipalities,” said Mr. Henry. “That’s the problem we’ve run up against.”
There was no permit issued for the trapping of the beavers or any beaver activity with the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, said Lawrence Hajna, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection. The Division of Fish and Wildlife falls under the DEP.
A permit is needed for the trapping of a beaver. It is illegal to shoot beavers, which are a protected species in New Jersey, according to the game code of the state.
