Woman Sentenced To Night Alone In Woods

NOVEMBER 18--An Ohio woman convicted of leaving dozens of kittens in two parks has been ordered by a judge to herself spend a night alone outdoors so that she can experience what if feels like to be abandoned, albeit only for about a dozen hours. Michelle Murray, 25, last month pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for dumping the kittens in September. At a hearing yesterday in Painesville Municipal Court, Judge Michael Cicconetti sentenced Murray to 90 days in jail, though she will spend only 14 of those days in custody. Cicconetti ordered her to surrender to park rangers at 6 PM on November 23, when she will be brought to a 'remote location' of a local park and left there until 'the light of dawn on November, 24, 2005,' according to a court judgment, a copy of which you can find below. Murray will not be allowed to carry and food or beverages other than water, nor will she be provided with shelter. However, she will be given a 'means of communication for emergency purposes only.' During the sentencing hearing, Cicconetti said that he wanted Murray to 'listen to the coyotes, hear the raccoons in the dark of night.' (2 pages)