http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...-tortoise-jennifer-greene-20150402-story.html
Jennifer Emoke Greene trial: Tortoise-torture suspect incompetent for animal-cruelty case
An animal-cruelty trial against a North Florida woman seen torturing and killing a small gopher tortoise in a July Facebook video will have to wait after she was found incompetent, according to the Clay County clerk of courts..
Jennifer Emoke Greene, 18, of Orange Park and a then 15-year-old friend were arrested July 25 after the video showed the woman setting the tortoise ablaze in front of a home off Blanding Boulevard, then stomping it to death after it tried to crawl away.
Animal-rights officials in Nevada saw the graphic video, then alerted Florida officials since the gopher tortoise is a threatened species in Florida.
Initially jailed on $55,000 bail on charges of animal cruelty as well as taking, harassing, harming or killing a threatened species, it was reduced to $15,000 in August and Greene bonded out, the Sheriff's Office said.
Court files show Greene had a March 10 status hearing and was "found incompetent to proceed; set for six-month review."
State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jackelyn Barnard said Greene's public defender requested she be evaluated and that was done by an expert.
The State Attorney's Office cannot discuss the results.
But on March 13, an order for conditional release was made.
"The judge did declare the defendant incompetent earlier this month and placed her on a conditional release plan," Barnard said. "What this means is the defendant will receive treatment to make her competent to proceed to trial."
Greene is scheduled to appear again Sept. 8 for a review of her competency, according to her court file.
Public Defender's Office is unable to comment at this time, spokesman Matt Bisbee said.
The two girls were arrested by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Clay County Sheriff's Office at the younger girl's home on Parkridge Avenue.
