I really got pissed when I saw news photos of her in a orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.
You’d feel lots differently about a picture showing what the bear who found only bread crumbs did to the toddler who lived three doors down.
Yeah, jail seems extreme; other options are worse.
She’s actually rather lucky. Neighbors who objected to her attracting wild animals to the area could have filed a class action against here for “maintaining a public nuisance” and taken it to small claims, each seeking damages just a dollar less than the threshold limit for Small Claims cases. Get enough neighbors in that line, and they could rack up a big enough tab that she’d be forced to sell the house.
Time in the clink might be merciful by comparison.
See, it’s all sort of this gut-wrenching mess of relative possibilities; some of which are possible, horrible, and just haven’t happened, yet, but could if she’s allowed to keep up the wildlife handouts.
Jail is an ugly “solution,” but she’s demonstrated that she’ll not abate if she has opportunity. She could have been found in contempt and fined; perhaps substantially. Would that help? Might help her sell her house. Time in the clink is probably merciful by comparison.
Nothing’s a pretty picture, here, but it WAS her choice to force the issue, and she opted to force it.