Dayle Kountz trial remains in Gallatin County
A Montana judge denied a change of venue request in the trial of a horse breeder charged with animal cruelty.
Dayle Kountz allegedly failed to provide his American Paint Horse stallion Young Doc Bar veterinary care. Part of the horse’s leg fell off, leaving only a bloody stump, after a severe injury. Kountz faces charges of torturing the horse and allowing a comatose calf to suffer needlessly.
The defense argued “that an “internet lynch mob” was determined to convict the defendant without knowing the facts or the law.” The judge disagreed. Butte District Court Judge Brad Newman issued an order last week denying the motion to move the trial to Madison County.
The order states media coverage of the Kountz case was factual not editorialized. News accounts of the case include strong language and individuals’ opinions but also address the defendants’ arguments and theories.
The court scheduled a September 11 trial date for Kountz.
