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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.23.26 Board Correspondence - FW_ Post Seizure Hearing RequestFrom:Clerk of the Board To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod; Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth Cc:Nuzum, Danielle; Honea, Kory; Ramsey, Michael; Mutony, Heather; Soderstrom, Monica Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Post Seizure Hearing Request Date:Thursday, April 23, 2026 11:01:25 AM Attachments:Pre-Seizure Notice A25-032997.pdf Official Notice A25-032997 01 30 26.pdf Updated Fee Letter - Lewis.pdf image001.png Please see Board Correspondence - Lewis LeeAdministrative Technician - ConfidentialButte County Administration25 County Center Drive, Suite 200 • Oroville, CA 95965T: 530.552.3326www.buttecounty.ca.gov | lelee@buttecounty.ca.gov From: Newman, Linda <LNewman@buttecounty.ca.gov> Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2026 10:16 AM To: 'Angelek Aldrich' <aldrichangelek@gmail.com> Cc: District Attorney <District_Attorney@buttecounty.ca.gov>; Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.ca.gov> Subject: Post Seizure Hearing Request Mrs. Lewis, We received your email request for a Post Seizure hearing pursuant Penal Code 597.1. In the case of your horses, the horses were seized under a search warrant, which has been reviewed, approved and signed by a judge. When a search warrant is obtained for the seizure of the animals, there is no post-seizure hearing, as it has already been determined to show probable cause for a legal seizure. Under 597.1, a post-seizure hearing can be requested within 48 hours of the animal(s) being seized IF the animal(s) were deemed by the officer to be in immediate need of seizure for veterinary care 597.1(f). The horses were not immediately seized under this section. Instead, the officer posted a Notice of Intent to Seize Animal(s) (pre-seizure) on your driveway gate on February 18, 2026 (see the attached carbon copy of the notice). The notice advised you that the officer intends to seize the horses unless a) you provided veterinary care to the horses, or b) you requested a pre-seizure hearing within two business days [see 597.1(g)]. Prior to posting the Notice of Intend to Seize Animal(s), the officer posted an Official Notice on your driveway gate on January 30, 2026, instructing you to contact Butte County Animal control immediately and to have the horses seen by a veterinarian within two weeks (see the attached carbon copy of the notice). The officer had made several visits to your property, starting in 2025, to follow the horses conditions for improvement of weight gain, in which the officer had conversations with Mr. Lewis regarding the concern that the horses were not adequately gaining weight and veterinary care may be required. Butte County Animal Control did not receive notice from you in person, in writing or by phone that you provided veterinary care to the horses nor that you requested the pre-seizure hearing, so the officer moved forward with obtaining a search warrant for violation of 597(b), which was served at your property on March 4, 2026. During the service of the search warrant, the officer provided you a copy of the warrant. The officer’s report is being sent to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office for determination of whether charges will be filed for Penal Code 597(b). At this time, in accordance with the fee letter you received, you must pay $11,209.48 in full by 4pm today or the horses will be deemed abandoned under 597.1(h) and shall become property of Butte County Animal Control. You may reach out to me with any further questions you have regarding this process. Please note that my email has changed. Please update your records:lnewman@buttecounty.ca.gov Linda NewmanAnimal Control Program SupervisorButte County Public Health | Nationally Accredited since 09/13/17202 Mira Loma Drive • Oroville, CA 95965T: 530.552.3888 | M: 530.552.4015 www.buttecounty.net/610/publichealth COUNTY OF BUTTE E-MAIL DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any attachment thereto may contain private, confidential, andprivileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this e-mail (or anyattachments thereto) by other than the County of Butte or the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are NOT theintended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this e-mail and any attachments thereto.