On the Record

By: Danny Jacobs

A Baltimore County husband and wife convicted on animal cruelty charges earlier this year will have their appeal heard next month after a judge agreed to postpone Thursday’s scheduled hearing.

Both Hilton and Donna Silver were unaccompanied by lawyers Thursday in Baltimore County Circuit Court. Hilton Silver, a lawyer himself, said counsel who had agreed to represent him was at another trial; Donna Silver had a letter from the public defender’s office indicating she applied for assistance within 10 days of the hearing, meaning no one could represent her.

Hilton Silver also indicated he had two character witnesses - a prosecutor and a retired judge - who were unavailable Thursday.

Prosecutor Adam Lippe, who had at least four witnesses in court and three on standby, objected to the postponement. Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr., however, agreed to the Silvers’ request and moved the hearing to Jan. 25 but said no further postponements would be allowed.

The Silvers were each sentenced in August to three consecutive weekends in jail and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution for the death of one horse and neglect of two others at their Windsor Mill home. Lippe said following the hearing that the couple has served their jail time but the fine has not been paid, including $230 owed to a vet for euthanizing one horse at the home.

The delay in the appeals means the two surviving horses remain under the care of the county, which has spent $20,000 so far, Lippe said. The horses have fully recovered at Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Woodbine but cannot be sold until the legal issues in the case have been resolved.

Donna Silver has forfeited ownership of the horses, but Hilton Silver has maintained the horses aren’t his, Lippe said in court.