GOSHEN, N.Y. — Jeanne Ryan chose to have the judge, not a jury, try the animal abuse case against her.
"I find the defendant guilty of all the counts contained in the indictment," said Orange County Court Judge Hon. Robert Freehill.
Ryan faced 10 charges of felony aggravated cruelty to animals and 10 misdemeanor charges of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.
Some in the courtroom applauded the judge's decision.
"I'm very happy with the verdict. Extremely happy," said Warwick resident Joan Hoge. "This woman tortured animals over a long period of time. And what they went through, and what they suffered, is unimaginable."
But Ryan's attorney says many who know about the case don't know all the facts.
"People have formed conclusions without sitting in the courtroom," said defense attorney Michael Sussman. "Some sitting in the courtroom and frankly making noise, disturbances, and not really paying attention to the evidence."
The defense attorney says the death of nine horses on Argus Farms in 2017 is a tragedy Ryan's adult son caused, because he was supposed to take care of the horses in exchange for room and board.
"She gave him written instructions on how to take care of the horses which are in documents submitted into evidence," Sussman said. "Our position is that he did not take care of the horse in that matter and in fact likely poisoned the horses."
But prosecutors say the emaciated horses, the suffering and the large amounts of feces in their stalls were Ryan's fault.
"The defendant was guilty of essentially systematically starving horses in series. In other words, one horse died before the next horse died," said Orange County Chief Assistant Direct Attorney Christopher Borek. "She certainly knew what she was doing. And in addition to underfeeding the animals, the evidence at the trial was that they were being kept in horrendous conditions."
Ryan could lose the dogs and six horses currently on her property. She faces a maximum two years in county prison when she is sentenced in September.