Michigan men to face trial on animal torture charges
July 20, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — A judge today ordered two men to stand trial on animal torture charges stemming from the discovery of 69 malnourished horses that were impounded from a southern Michigan farm. Is it that hard to read the transcripts? There were THREE horses that the vets considered to be a 1-2 body condition score. Not 69. Of the remainder, 56 were found to be a 4-5 body condition score; that's ideal or better than ideal (moderately fleshy aka fat) and a far cry from malnourished. Is it really that hard to bother with finding the facts of the case?
District Court Judge Joseph Filip ruled there was enough evidence for James Henderson Jr., who owned the horses, and Matthew Mercier, who managed them, to stand trial in Jackson County Circuit Court. Judge Filip routinely ignored testimony from experts and apparently found it shocking that horse owners regularly purchase used horse tack, feeling that someone who would do such a thing must not love their horses.
Henderson and Mercier have denied that the horses were harmed.
Officials seized the property March 21 after finding the horses without food or water. Many were badly malnourished, officials said, and the horses were found amid piles of trash, rusted auto parts and manure. I don't consider 3 out of 69 "many" ... and Oh Em Gee there was MANURE on a horse farm?! Some of the trash consisted of hay bale wraps and strings, and a good deal of it was on a part of the farm that was not being used for horse pasture!
More than half were later discovered to be pregnant. One of the horses was later euthanized for a hip injury. Once again, 12 is not more than half of 69. If more mares than the 12 that Matt and Jim knew about and planned on were pregnant, that was done post-seizure when someone let the studs loose with the mares and fillies. The horse that was euthanized without the knowledge of its owners, very well could have been injured while the herd was under the "care" of JCAC.
The horses — and about 15 foals that have been born since the seizure — were forfeited Friday to Jackson County Animal Control. I guess I could allow that 12 is "about" 15, but I think it is closer to 10, actually. About 10 would be more factual, but not as sensational.
Could the author of this article have been bothered to check facts, or was total destruction of these men's reputations their only goal? Finding them guilty in the media of charges they still have not gone to court on, while their horses are sold off cheaply at packed auction houses, possibly in worse condition than when seized by JCAC six months previous ... why?
Ask questions. Spread the word. Don't believe ONLY the media, the "rescue" group, and Jackson County officials. There is more to this than a few skinny horses and a few dozen healthy ones being taken from their rightful owners. We're watching, Jackson. The nation is watching.
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