April 10, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
It may be late June before Chancellor Ronald Thurman has another hearing on the animal shelter issue.
A tentative date is set for June 24.
In the meantime a temporary restraining order will remain in place to keep the City of Smithville from intervening in the operation of the Animal Shelter which is under the control of the DeKalb Coalition for Humane Treatment of Animals, INC.
Chancellor Ronald Thurman extended the order during a hearing in DeKalb County Chancery Court on Tuesday morning, March 30. The proceeding went longer than expected and had to be cut short before all the proof was presented in order that Chancellor Thurman could make it to a noon court session in another county.
Chancellor Thurman kept the temporary restraining order against the city intact until another hearing, now set for June 24, in which both sides will get to finish making their case. Chancellor Thurman also wants the County to join in the hearing because it has a stake in the matter.
The Coalition, represented by attorney Sarah Cripps, is seeking to make the temporary restraining order against the city permanent and for the Chancellor to construe and interpret provisions of both the Coalition’s lease and contract with the City as well as the Coalition’s memorandum of understanding with the County.
City attorney Vester Parsley is asking that the temporary restraining order against the city be dismissed.
Both the city and the coalition claim they are in charge of operating the animal shelter and that the two full time employees work for them.
Chancellor Thurman may sort it out at the next hearing.