Horses injured in trailer
Lockwood, MT (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Jun 26, 2005
County: Yellowstone

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Robert Leo Sasse

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A man charged with four counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty after four horses were injured while being driven to an auction yard in a two-horse trailer pleaded not guilty Friday, Aug 12 in Justice Court.

Robert Leo Sasse appeared on a summons and asked the judge to appoint a public defender to represent him. Judge Larry Herman set Sasse's bond at $4,000 and ordered him not to handle horses while the case is pending. Herman said Sasse could make the bond in time payments.

On Aug 11, Sasse failed to appear in court for arraignment and Judge Pedro Hernandez said he would issue an arrest warrant for him. Hernandez later issued a summons instead of a warrant, and Sasse appeared voluntarily on Aug 12.

Misdemeanor animal cruelty carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A trial was set for Jan. 10, 2006.

According to court records, Sasse was issued a citation on June 26 after a motorist flagged down a sheriff's deputy and pointed out a bleeding horse in a trailer on Interstate 90. The deputy followed the vehicle pulling the trailer to the Billings Livestock Commission in Lockwood.

At the auction yard, the deputy said, he found four injured horses inside the trailer. One of the horses had to be euthanized immediately, court records state.

Case Updates

References

• Billings Gazette - Aug 13, 2005

« MT State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Yellowstone County, MT

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.