Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | Ronald Jordan | | Judge(s): | Matthew Cox |
Cattle and goat neglect
Richmond, IN (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 30, 2009
County: Union
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Lester King
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Richmond man was arrested Thursday in Union County on charges of animal neglect and failing to dispose of dead livestock.
Lester King, 60, was charged with four counts of failure to dispose of the bodies of dead animals, Class D felonies, and 25 counts of neglect of an animal, Class B misdemeanors.
King's bond was set at $40,000. He posted $4,000 in cash Thursday night and was released from the Union County Jail, Chief Deputy Jeff Franklin said.
Franklin estimated there were 75 cattle and 25 calves on the property, along with a half-dozen goats shut in a livestock trailer and some llamas. More cattle may be over the hill at the rear of the property, Franklin said.
King has an initial hearing in Union Circuit Court at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
King is also out of jail on a $15,000 bond in Wayne County, charged with dealing in cocaine, a Class B felony, possession of cocaine, a Class D felony, and possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor. Trial is set for June 2 on those charges.
Case UpdatesFarmers caring for animals removed from a Union County farm last month will have their foster livestock a little longer.
Cattle owner Lester King will go to trial in Union Circuit Court on July 14 on 17 felony counts of failure to dispose of the bodies of dead animals and 25 misdemeanor counts of neglect of an animal.
King was first arrested over the care and condition of his livestock May 1 and arrested again on additional charges May 12 after officers said they discovered more carcasses on King's farm when removing the last of his herd from the property.
About 110 animals, including 75 cattle, 25 calves, a half-dozen goats and some llamas were taken from King's Retherford Road farm in May after a state veterinarian determined the cattle were underfed and conditions were unsanitary, officers said.
King's attorney, Ron Moore of Richmond, and Union County Prosecutor Ronald Jordan agreed during a pre-trial hearing Friday to consolidate the two cases into one to be heard by a six-member jury next month. Moore declined to comment on the case.
"We're going to have a trial instead of selling the cows," Prosecutor Ron Jordan said.
The amount King should pay for the livestock's care for the next month was set at $6,000, and he deposited that amount with Union County Clerk Sue Ray on Friday. King was required to pay $6,000 in May for the first 30 days of care for the animals to prevent them from being sold.
Ray said she's received bills of about $5,500 so far for the first month of care. When Union Circuit Judge Matthew Cox approves the bills, Ray pays them from the bond, she said. Foster farmers are required to purchase feed and supplies from the Union County Co-op, which then bills the county, Deputy Auditor Cheryl Vickers said. About a half-dozen farmers are keeping the livestock on their farms.
It's not clear at this time who will be responsible for boarding bills if King is found not guilty of the charges.
Authorities became aware of the livestock's condition when King asked county sanitarian Ron Parker to check a septic system on the property because he was planning to replace a mobile home there.
Parker alerted the Union County Sheriff's Department to the animals' conditions, and Deputy Alvin Day requested a visit by a state veterinarian.
The court issued a search warrant and then authorized the seizure of the livestock. | Source: Palladium-Item - June 7, 2009
Update posted on Jun 7, 2009 - 10:23AM |
References
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