By Katie Chen of Billings’ KULR8.com
Shades of Jason Meduna; Horse Abuser James Leachman Faces the Facts
BILLINGS – The first day of testimony has ended for a Billings-area rancher accused of abusing his horses.
James Leachman is charged with multiple counts of animal abuse for five different horses he owned. On Tuesday, Prosecutors displayed images of horses with leg bands that cut into their skin.
Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Lt. Kent O’Donnell was the lead investigator of the case that began nearly two years ago. He visited the ranch several times and saw horses with out-turned hooves and ingrown leg bands.
The prosecution then asked O’Donnell to describe what he encountered when he looked at the health of the horses Leachman owned.
“You can see it’s not putting any weight on that leg it’s just dragging the hoof. You can start to see, if you get a little closer you can see the leg band you can’t quite make it out there but you can make out the white, this white area right here and that’s actually pus,” Lt. O’Donnell said.
Public defender Clark Mathews questioned the lieutenant about his investigations. He revealed O’Donnell didn’t look for a brand on one dead horse found in a nearby pasture. But O’Donnell said that was because coyotes had already destroyed much of the horse’s remains.
If convicted on all counts, Leachman could spend up to 16 years in prison. The trial is expected to last into next week.
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Categories: Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
He needs to spend a long time in prison for this horrible torture of innocent animals.
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I was a witness in a trail in Missoula, Montana, horse abuse with 4 horses. I thought Montana was such an outdoor hunting state, these two GA men would not get much of a fine but to my joy, the judge fined them just under $50,000 and 6 months in jail. Montana is a horse protection state. Hoping for just punishment for this suffering.
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Hopefully he’ll get what he deserves.
Montana needs to do something about it’s treatment of the Spanish Mustangs if it wants to maintain it’s “horse protection” status as a state.
“There is no excuse for animal abuse.”
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He will get what he deserves…God will see to that!
This is another glaring example of why our animal abuse laws need to be strengthened tremendously. This possible 16 years for 5 horses should at minimum be 16 years per horse. I don’t care he’s an old man and it would probably constitute a life sentence…what do those 4 horses have to look forward to? (I’m taking for granted the one is dead having been eaten by coyotes). They’re crippled and may have to be destroyed…maybe they already have been, this story doesn’t go far enough to tell us the ultimate fate of the victims.
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Steve:
Agreed.
The reporter glosses over much.
There are laws on the books. Sadly, the law enforcement and judicial systems continuously, repeatedly and predictably ALWAYS minimize, dismiss and ignore the options available to them to prosecute and punish humans like this because the victim(s) is an animal.
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Up to 16 years in prison for him. What was the sentence for the victims death in a slaughter house? This is news to me. I hadn’t heard of anything about it if it began 2 years ago. I don’t understand…….
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I do hope he gets what he deserves. It is a ashame though, here is a guy who may get up to 16 yrs. The blm kill how many, we fallow the law, they continue to get away with murder. It seems that the abuse of animals is on a rise. God help us and the horses & burros.
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May Leachman get what he deserves. With that in mind, PLEASE remember the Bailey horses of Colorado. The trial for their horrid neglect case has been post boned to February. The fiefdom run legal system Park County must be reminded to do its job. Please support these voiceless horses who suffered so much by writing a note to Thom LeDoux, email below, to express your concern and ask him to prosecute to the full extent of the law. The defense will have a meeting on Monday with him in an attempt to file motion to suppress evidence / testimony. That is NOT acceptable. Also cc Betty Broyce, LeDoux’s assistant, and me. I thank you for any help here. Monika Courtney
——————————————————————————–
From: TCourt5096@aol.com
To: tledoux@da11thjd.org, editor@theflume.com, reporter@theflume.com
CC: broyse@da11thjd.org, mgore@parkco.us, BPriestly@parkco.us,
Sent: 11/28/2012 1:08:04 P.M. Mountain Standard Time
Subj: Re: Upcoming Trial in Fairplay
Mr. LeDoux:
Thank you for the update. We will stay tuned. May this prolonged time frame in this case not facilitate the slick defense’s goal to not find the truth but bury it.
We hope you take every step possible to prevent this.
I appreciate the email. I and many others trust you will make this case a landmark case to send a strong message that animal neglect of this proportion is not tolerated in Park county. Seeing that the defendant seems to have received a special pass in the process of “welfare checks” by being given 24 hrs. notice, the motion to suppress evidence and testimony is outrageous, just as an attempted exclusion of evidence thereof would be willful outrageous conduct.
There are key witnesses available. The discovery and evidence surrounding this case is neither photo shopped nor fabricated. It is rock solid and speaks volumes. Any circumvention of the combined available witness testimonies, affidavits and vet reports – (which all signify a strong force to prosecute this case appropriately) would yet be another shocker in this travesty.
It is in your hands and we expect you to deliver and stand your ground as you promised to the local radio and your constituents during your re-election campaign.
Respectfully,
Monika Courtney
In a message dated 11/27/2012 6:11:56 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, tledoux@da11thjd.org writes:
FYI – The jury trial previously scheduled to begin on December 3rd, 2012 has been continued by the Court until Monday February 25, 2013. The Court will hold a motions hearing on Monday December 3rd at 10 am on the Defendants’ Motion to Suppress.
Thom LeDoux
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The editor of the Flume let me know the trial was postboned. These horses were subjected to horrid neglect and found in advanced debiliated condition. One young colt, almost dead on ground, was rehabbed and adopted out. The others, returned to abuser under judge’s order and subjected to animal welfare “checks” by local Animal Control. Please ask LeDoux to do his job. Let’s hope the judge does NOT grant motion to dismiss the case or suppress evidence !!
From: TCourt5096@aol.com [mailto:TCourt5096@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 3:46 PM
To: editor@theflume.com; reporter@theflume.com
Cc: Thom LeDoux; Betty L. Royse; mgore@parkco.us; BPriestly@parkco.us;
Subject: Upcoming Trial in Fairplay
Tom,
Will you be going to the trial of the Bailey horses this coming Monday, December 3rd, at 8 am ?
I think it would be beneficial for the press to be present. This case has put the D.A. in your county on the spot for his lack/failure of aggressive action/prosecution in past times. I and many others think Park county tax payers should hear how he is handling this case now and that he lives up to his promises after his recent re-election. The prevention of possible repeat neglect cases or cases such as this one depends on a District Attorney who takes his job serious and sends a strong message by handing out consequences to those ultimately responsible; not plea bargains.
The prolonging of case and gag order left the horses in the hands of those who hurt them in the first place, whether the cause for their horrid debilitated condition was the alleged starvation, the way belated vet “inquiry”, or the latest twist of alleged toxic weeds tales. Since it’s not just us, but the Sheriff’s office too, who is concerned for the horses’ welfare and that there is enough hay for their care – may Monday bring justice for the defenseless horses who suffered so much.
Please let me know.
Monika Courtney
P.S. The below may be of interest on how some insiders/past employees of Park county act in their “duty” to protect horses or carry out their “jobs”. Let’s hope Mr. Thom LeDoux will
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