A new judge has been named to preside over the animal cruelty case against a Montana rancher accused of neglecting hundreds of horses.

In December 2010 a herd of 450 horses were residing on 9,400 acres of deeded land and 30,000 acres of leased Crow Tribal land southeast of Billings, Mont., with scant forage and no water source. Several horses were also discovered dead on the property.

The horses’ owner, James H. Leachman, was later charged with a total of 16 charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty for negligently failing to provide veterinary care, food, or water to helpless animals. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

In March, members of the Crow Tribe gathered the surviving horses from the leased tribal lands on which they were located. Those animals were later sold at auction where Leachman’s son, Seth Leachman, successfully bid on 66 horses. James Leachman later paid for the horses. Those horses were placed on Indian Trust Land leased by the elder Leachman