Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Investigation Leads to Conviction

After an investigation by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission into the failure of testing equine, a Leslie man has been sentenced to 120 days in the Searcy County Jail.
Bruce Long, age 63, of County Road 44 in Leslie was contacted by an ALPC Equine Inspector as to a formal complaint on the test status of all equine owned by Mr. Long. State law dictates that horses be tested yearly for Equine Infectious Anemia for the safety of all equine in the area. After a quarantine was issued, Mr. Long refused to have his livestock tested.
Twentieth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Marcus Vaden charged Long with violations of the State’s testing law in Searcy County District Court. Long was found guilty of those charges in October, 2009 and ordered to test his animals within seven days. Long appealed the decision to the Searcy County Circuit Court, and a jury trial was scheduled for July 15, 2010 for his Appeal. However, Long failed to appear for his trial. Because of his failure to appear for the jury trial, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Joe Don Winningham sought to have the appeal dismissed and Long resentenced in District Court. The appeal was dismissed and Long reappeared in Searcy County District Court Monday, September 20, 2010 where he was ordered to jail for 120 days and to have his horses tested within fourteen days.
“Because of Mr. Long’s disregard for the testing practices set by the Livestock and Poultry Commission for the health of his animals, he has placed all the animals in the area at risk. He has inconvenienced the people of this area by not only refusing to test his animals but also for failing to appear for a scheduled trial when 12 jurors were present”, said Marcus Vaden, Twentieth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney.