Acts of compassion shouldn't land you in jail, yet Catherine McCartney has been sentenced to 15 days in jail after letting a trapped bear cub loose.
New Jersey state officials set a trap in a condo complex after an adult bear frightened some residents, but it was a cub who got caught in the trap. Hearing the cub's cries, McCartney opened the trap to reunite the child with its mom, technically violating some laws for tampering with government property.
By the state's own admission, had a government official gotten to the trap first, they probably would have also let the cub free since he was not the intended target. It appears that the judge chose to extend a harsh sentence anyway since McCartney has been arrested in the past for protesting bear hunters.
Acts of civil disobedience aimed at protecting vulnerable bears should not put her behind bars, though. Save the jail time for the people who are cruel to animals instead!
Join former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli in calling on NJ Governor Phil Murphy to pardon McCartney from serving jail time, as the punishment most definitely does not fit the "crime"/act of kindness.
