Alabama woman facing felony charges

A woman in Baldwin County is facing felony charges after allegedly playing a bizarre prank on her neighbors. Sheriff’s officers in the southern Alabama county responded to a complaint that a goat had been dyed green. The woman is facing a livestock theft charge, which is a felony. There is no court date set at this time, but the woman has indicated she will likely fight the charges with the support of a criminal defense attorney.

What allegedly took place?

According to the unusual report, it appears the woman’s neighbors came home to discover their goat gone from their backyard. Apparently the neighbors saw photos the woman had posted on social media of their goat — now colored green. When officers from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated, the woman told them it was simply a harmless prank, conducted using shampoo and food coloring. She insists she would never harm an animal.

Livestock theft is a felony charge in Alabama, regardless of the context of the case. However, some community members, including the woman herself, see the charge as extreme. Several pointed to the fact that the goat is routinely seen out and about in the community, suggesting that a theft may not necessarily have occurred.

Moving forward from here

Charges of animal cruelty and theft may be seen as an overreaction in this case, but the fact remains that Alabama imposes harsh penalties on felonies. The woman could see herself on the receiving end of fines or even jail time for such an infraction, if she is found guilty. However, she will be represented by a criminal defense attorney who may choose to point to the general absurdity of the entire case as one possible reason to see the charges reduced. Ideally, the case could be thrown out altogether.