April E. WIlliams, right, leaves the podium with her attorney, Ed Hartwig, after her arraignment Wednesday before Judge Anthony D'Apolito of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in an animal cruelty-case....Staff photo / Ed Runyan

YOUNGSTOWN — Judge Anthony D’Apolito of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court ordered that an evaluation be conducted on Amy E. Williams, a former Youngstown State University professor accused of mutilating her cat.

He ordered the evaluation after Williams’ attorney, Ed Hartwig, entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea on her behalf Wednesday during Williams’ arraignment.

Williams, 41, of Boardman, appeared in person for the hearing but was not asked to say anything except to acknowledge that she needed to self-report to the Mahoning County jail for booking.

The judge ordered her to remain free on a personal recognizance bond and ordered her not to possess any animals.

Her arraignment last week was postponed because she was in a crisis stabilization unit in Boardman receiving inpatient treatment and because Williams had not yet been served with her indictment, Hartwig stated in a court filing.

Williams was indicted on two counts of cruelty to a companion animal after Animal Charity of Ohio, which is the humane agency for Mahoning County, executed a search warrant at Williams’ apartment Nov. 23.

In the apartment, investigators found a dead cat and a live cat. A necropsy later determined that the dead cat was mutilated and died of intentionally inflicted injuries, Animal Charity reported. Williams was not in the apartment at the time of the search.

The two indictments — one a felony and one a misdemeanor — relate to the same cat, according to Williams’ indictments.

Williams resigned her position with YSU, according to prosecutors.

According to an online American Counseling Association biography, Williams was an assistant professor in the YSU Department of Counseling, Special Education and School Psychology. She holds a master’s degree in community and addiction counseling and doctorate degree in counselor education, the biography states.