A judge has apologized for suggesting that a Herriman woman kill her dogs to come into compliance with a city ordinance that limits her to two animals.
"That statement was harsh and it was unfair and I wish I hadn't said it that way," 3rd District Judge Stephen Henriod said of his comment that Janet Lane "should have taken a gun and shot" five of the dogs she fostered at her home.
Lane appeared before Henriod Monday morning to be sentenced for three class B misdemeanors related to the excess animals. The judge became angry when he learned Lane was still violating the law and sentenced her to 180 days in jail, effective immediately.
At a Tuesday hearing, Henriod explained his statement stemmed from his anger that Lane would come to court "still in flagrant noncompliance with the law." Not, he said, out of any ill will toward the animals.
"This case isn't about dogs. It's about a violation of the law," the judge said, noting that he is an animal lover with pets of his own.
Henriod said he has received a great deal of feedback about his comment, which was first reported in Tuesday's Deseret Morning News, including from his own wife, who did not appreciate the statement. By Tuesday afternoon, the story had generated more than 100 postings on KSL-TV's Web site, both defending and attacking Henriod's comments.
Even Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard remarked on the six-month jail sentence during a Tuesday morning county committee meeting. With jail space, particularly beds for women, already at a minimum, Kennard said it would be impossible to keep Lane behind bars for so long on such a minor charge.
"She is not a threat to society, she's just not taking serious what a judge is trying to impress upon her," said the sheriff, who later added, "I'm an animal lover and this is offensive. But maybe he had a bad day."
At Tuesday's hearing, Henriod suspended the remainder of Lane's jail sentence after learning that the woman's friend had taken the five dogs to the Humane Society of Utah earlier in the day.
In court Monday, Lane indicated that she had a dog in her car. On Tuesday, however, Henriod noted that the 45-year-old woman actually had three animals in her car, which was parked in a metered stall on the street.
When asked what she was thinking by bringing the dogs with her to court, a shackled Lane said she had planned to take the dogs to the veterinarian after the hearing.
"I obviously had no clue, no clue at all, that I might go to jail," she said.
Lane was to be released from the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday afternoon. She is on 12 months court-supervised probation.
Last year, Henriod returned to the bench from a two-week absence after he agreed to undergo counseling following a health-related absence and a string of police calls to his house.
Salt Lake County Sheriff's records, with names redacted, indicated there had been a domestic violence call, a threatened suicide incident and a report of man who had attempted suicide.
Contributing: Leigh Dethman
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com