A Dallas County man charged with dumping 13 cows off a bridge wants an apology from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department. If one isn’t forthcoming, the sheriff could be going to court.

Julian McPhillips, Montgomery-based attorney for &uot;Lad&uot; Brown, said he notified Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman Jr. by fax on Monday about Brown’s request.

&uot;I have heard your words attributing animal cruelty to Mr. Brown when you publicly stated Mr. Brown had ‘starved his cattle to death,’&uot; McPhillips’ letter reads. &uot;The truth is that Mr. Brown has kept his cattle with free choice hay and feed since the fall of 2003, and you should have seen that when you came out to inspect his farm.&uot;

Deputies brought Brown, 53, into custody Jan. 9 for allegedly dumping 13 dead cows off a bridge on Kings Bend Road. Brown was charged with one count of criminal littering and 13 counts of cruelty to animals. He made bond the same day.

Chief Deputy Randy Pugh previously said that the cows died due to worms and starvation.

McPhillips adds that if Brown doesn’t receive a written apology and retraction of Huffman’s statements within 10 days, he will have no alternative but to file suit. &uot;The sheriff has put this out in the public already,&uot; McPhillips said. &uot;I think it’s appropriate that the demand for a retraction be made public.&uot;

Huffman said he stood by his department’s original investigation and was ready for Brown’s trial, which is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. Huffman declined to issue an apology at the time.

According to Ed Greene, Fourth Judicial Circuit district attorney, Brown will receive a non-jury trial from Dallas County District Court Judge Nathaniel Walker.

However, Greene noted that if found guilty, Brown has the option of appealing his case to Circuit Court, where he can request a jury or non-jury trial. &uot;Either way, he’s entitled to a new proceeding,&uot; Greene added.