The Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed the trial court’s order that dismissed Animal Outlook’s (“AO”) petition for review of the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office’s disapproval of multiple private criminal complaints. AO drafted private criminal complaints against Martin Farms and its employees, alleging violations of various animal cruelty statutes. The DA disapproved the complaints. The trial court agreed with the DA, and the Superior Court reversed. The Court concluded that the evidence presented to the DA, the trial court, and the Superior Court was “sufficient to make out prima facie cases of animal neglect, cruelty, and aggravated cruelty with regard to the incidents of improper movement of downer cows, excessive shocking and tail pulling or twisting, and calf dehorning, as well as to establish the inapplicability of the normal agricultural operations defense as to those practices.”
