Video of raid on alleged puppy mill will be released

Published 9:29 pm Tuesday, May 26, 2009

GOLD BAR — A video taken by Snohomish County officials during the January raid of a suspected million-dollar puppy mill may be released to the media, a judge ruled Tuesday.

The video is evidence in a high-profile animal cruelty case.

Defense attorneys tried to block the video’s distribution, arguing widespread broadcast may hurt their clients’ chances for a fair trial.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ronald Castleberry disagreed.

The video is scheduled to be released Thursday by the Snohomish County prosecutor’s office.

Jason and Serena Larsen, both 37, are charged with six counts each of first-degree animal cruelty.

Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers on Jan. 16 raided a home outside Gold Bar and rescued about 160 dogs. Many of the animals were covered with urine and feces. Dead dogs were found in a freezer. A mummified dog’s body was found on the property.

The video was taken by investigators raiding the home.

The Larsens lived in the house and were responsible for the dogs’ care, prosecutors allege.

The Larsens have said the dogs belong to someone else and they were led to believe they broke no laws. They said they were breeding the dogs for a Snohomish woman who allegedly earned millions of dollars a year, court papers said.

Local media have paid close attention to the case, often featuring images of the abused puppies. A Seattle television station filed a public records request for the video, sparking the legal wrangling. The Herald also has filed a records request in the case.

Mickey Krom and Gabriel Rothstein, lawyers for the Larsens, argued release of the video may bias a potential jury pool. They also said the video could inflame already high emotions and bring the Larsens harm.

Since being charged, the Larsens have received five threatening letters, according to a written statement submitted by Jason Larsen.

“One of the letters said that there were people watching us,” Jason Larsen wrote.

After hearing arguments about the video last week, Castleberry privately reviewed the video.

It is poor quality and is “not nearly as horrific or graphic as has been argued to the court,” Castleberry said. The judge said written descriptions of the alleged animal abuse was more disturbing than that portrayed in the video.

He ruled releasing the video, as required under the state’s public disclosure laws, shouldn’t interfere with the Larsens’ constitutional right to a fair trial before an impartial jury.

Even during headline-grabbing death penalty cases, lawyers have been able to seat Snohomish County jurors who hadn’t heard about the cases, Castleberry said.

The Larsens’ attorneys may ask for a change of venue if they believe an unbiased jury cannot be empaneled, the judge said.

The puppy mill investigation is still ongoing, Snohomish County deputy prosecuting attorney Jarett Goodkin said.

Following the Gold Bar raid, the investigation expanded to a Mount Vernon-area kennel, where 450 dogs were seized. A Snohomish kennel, Wags ‘n’ Wiggles, operated by Renee Roske, also is under investigation.

Jason Larsen has said the dogs in Gold Bar belonged to Roske. Roske has denied owning the dogs. She hasn’t been charged in connection with the case.

Authorities must redact images from the video that show personal financial papers, which are exempt from disclosure under state law.

The Larsens’ trial is scheduled to begin July 31.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com