The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office seized close to 80 head of cattle in September from a Texas county commissioner on suspicion of cruelty to livestock and neglect.
Billy Wall, the Burnet County Precinct 3 commissioner, settled out of court on Sept. 30 in a civil case regarding his alleged failure to adequately feed cattle on his property. No criminal charges were filed, according to defense attorney Eddie Shell.
“This case was a fiasco on the part of Burnet County officials who handled its issues,” Shell told attendees during a local media conference. “It was a little bit theatrical, a little bit unnecessary, and certainly it could have been handled a different way.”
However, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd told The Highlander, “Eddie Shell has made a career out of blaming the police in order to defend his clients. We can’t comment on his comments at this time due to pending criminal charges.”
Wall’s property was investigated in September after complaints surfaced regarding cattle “unreasonably deprived of necessary food and care.” The seized cattle were taken to auction, and Wall will pay fees of roughly $30,000 to cover expenses incurred for removal of the cattle, care and feed while they were held in seizure.
