DA not filing criminal charges in shelter case

The Merced County District Attorney’s office announced today that it will not be filing criminal charges against Renate Schmitz, owner of the Last Hope Cat Kingdom, according to Steven Slocum, a supervising deputy in the District Attorney’s office.
“We have reviewed the evidence and have decided to exercise our prosecutorial discretion in the case of LHCK, and will not file criminal charges against Renate Schmitz or any of the volunteers who worked at the shelter.  Our ethical responsibility requires that we only file a case where we believe we have a reasonable likelihood of obtaining a conviction.  Any prosecutor would be hard pressed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to 12 jurors that Ms. Schmitz is a criminal deserving of conviction and incarceration,” Slocum said.
After a lengthy and thorough review of all the evidence, the District Attorney’s office concluded that several problems contributed to deplorable conditions found at LHCK.  Slocum noted that the facility became a favorite dumping ground for pet owners wanting to abandon animals – whether sick, dying or unwanted – and “not feel guilty about it.”
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