Edgewater man is expected in court later this month.
Vincent Ascolese, in a file photo, is facing animal cruelty charges. (John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)BLOOMFIELD -- An animal control officer accused of inhumanely killing a wounded fawn is not going down without a fight.
After a brief initial appearance in municipal court last week to answer the 14-count animal cruelty charges the NJSPCA levied against him, Vincent Ascolese, 48, of Edgewater, is planning to defend himself, and ask for a change of venue for the trial, his attorneys James Lisa and Peter Willis said in a phone interview last week.
"The only plea here is not guilty," Lisa said in response to questions about the charges, which accuse Ascolese - the former animal control officer in Bloomfield and owner of Bergen Humane - of slitting the injured deer's throat. The NJSPCA has said that exsanguination, or blood draining, is not an approved method of animal euthanasia in New Jersey.
"(The town) is hiding behind public opinion...(without) knowing any of the facts," the attorney said.
According to Lisa, his team has not yet received any discovery or information in the case beyond the initial complaint. He also said that the town moved too quickly in its public statements and actions against Ascolese.
"No one has even asked about the condition of the deer," Lisa said.
In addition to spelling out the details of what Ascolese said happened during the June 2015 incident with the deer, Lisa also said he plans to present experts who will vouch for exsanguination, which he called, "the most humane thing to do in the situation."
Ascolese is also petitioning for a change of venue for his upcoming Nov. 17 court appearance, the attorneys said. Ascolese's work as an agent on behalf of the town would make a hearing in Bloomfield "a conflict of interest," they said.
NJSPCA spokesman Matt Stanton said more information surrounding the charges will be given to Ascolese before the next trial date. The agency is in the midst of discovery, Stanton said.
"That will all come out...between now and the court date."
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
