Ligertown Owners Enter Innocent Pleas

The owners of the Ligertown Game Farm whose African lions were shot after escaping from their compound have pleaded innocent to 107 misdemeanor charges.

Robert Fieber and Dotti Martin each face 84 counts of cruelty to animals, three violations of planning and zoning ordinances, two counts of possession of protected wildlife, one count each of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and 16 public nuisance charges.

They were arraigned on Thursday. A pretrial conference over the misdemeanors is scheduled for Oct. 24 before Magistrate Ted Israel.

Nineteen lions were killed following escapes on Sept. 20 and 21 near Lava Hot Springs.

Magistrate Ron Hart set Oct. 25 before 6th District Judge Galen Box for preliminary hearings on two felony counts each. Martin and Fieber are accused of administering prescription veterinary sedatives to their exotic animals.

Prosecutors upgraded misdemeanor drug possession charges to felonies, because they believe the two illegally injected the drugs into the animals.

Martin on Thursday said she understood the charges against her, although she had no idea where the marijuana came from.

She laughed when Hart told her she could lose hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for three years if found guilty of possessing body parts of a protected species. An owl’s body was found in a wolf-dog hybrid’s cage, according to a Bannock County sheriff’s report.

Martin said losing those privileges was no punishment. She and Fieber asked for a court-appointed attorney, which was granted.