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Name:
Caldwell, Thomas Junior
Date of Booking:
03/15/2026
Reason(s) For Booking:
Aggravated Cruelty to Animals
Aggravated Cruelty to Animals
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at approximately 1814 I was dispatched to [300 BLOCK] Scott Road in reference to cruelty to cows.
Before arriving on scene, the caller advised there were 10 cows in total. The caller who wished to remain anonymous, stated 3 cows were deceased and 7 were very malnourished. I arrived on scene and found cows walking around on a small, roughly 1 acre of fenced property. When getting out of my vehicle I could tell the grass around the fence line had been mowed recently, but prior to it being mowed looked to have been tall and thick. I observed in the fenced area 7 very skinny, sickly and malnourished cows in appearance. On all the cows you could see their rib cages, hip bones and neck bones. The cows walked around the fence line with me as I walked around checking on all the cows and taking pictures.
From the road and front part of the fence line, you can see a black in color cow dead. The cow is laying almost in the middle of the fenced piece of property. There was an old DOT truck parked inside the fence line and there was another black cow dead near the driver’s door. I walked further around the fence line and found a pile of bones from another cow.
I contacted animal control and spoke with ACO Smith and ACO Rumph and were advised to try and find the owners and make contact. I also contacted CID Cpl Kamens and advised him of the situation.
I was able to check tax assessors’ website and found the owner of the land was [WITNESS #1] (B/F, DOB [REDACTED BY AGENCY]/1958). I was able to make contact with [WITNESS #1] via phone and was advised she lives in New York. [WITNESS #1] advised her brother Thomas Caldwell (B/M, DOB [REDACTED BY AGENCY])/1964) has been trashing the property and she was unaware of the cattle on the property.
[WITNESS #1] stated she would be down from New York in two weeks and wants Caldwell to be told he cannot come back to the property. I advised [WITNESS #1] the phone number we had for Caldwell did not work and she provided another number. I asked [WITNESS #1] when was the last time she had spoken with Caldwell and she could not remember.
I was able to contact Caldwell by phone who lives in Lizella, GA. Caldwell stated he had been to the property today and found that he had dead cows. Caldwell stated he had been sick with Covid and had not been to the property in about two weeks. Caldwell was unable to tell me when he would get back to the property or take care of the cows. Caldwell seemed unconcerned when I asked about the cows and no plan to get to the property to take care of them.
I contacted ACO Smith and Cpl. Kamens and advised them both I was able to find the owner of the property and the cows. I advised Cpl. Kamens I would proceed with warrants for cruelty to animals for all 10 cows.
[End of Narrative]
All information is sourced directly from the official, public court database. Case history is organized and curated by The Georgia Gazette staff. The “What this means:” explanations are written by AI and reviewed by our staff before publishing.
Court records are subject to change at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors or omissions. Nothing here is legal advice. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Case History:
3/15/26
THOMAS JUNIOR CALDWELL BOOKED INTO CUSTODY
What this means: Thomas Junior Caldwell was arrested and booked on charges of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals (four counts) in Houston County. This is the formal intake process where a person is processed into the jail system following an arrest. At this stage, Caldwell is accused of these offenses — no guilt has been determined.
3/24/26
PROSECUTOR ASSIGNED TO THOMAS JUNIOR CALDWELL CASE
What this means: Brian Huckaby, Senior Assistant District Attorney, was assigned to represent the State of Georgia in the case against Thomas Junior Caldwell in Houston County Superior Court (Case No. 2026C0064603). The District Attorney’s office is responsible for prosecuting the charges on behalf of the state.
3/26/26
BOND ORDER ISSUED — THOMAS JUNIOR CALDWELL RELEASED ON CONDITIONS
What this means: A judge in Houston County Superior Court signed a bond order allowing Thomas Junior Caldwell to be released from custody while his case proceeds. The bond was set at $5,000, meaning Caldwell or someone on his behalf must post that amount to secure his release. The order was presented by Senior Assistant District Attorney Brian Huckaby and came with two special conditions Caldwell must follow: he may not possess any animals, and he may not be arrested on any new charges. Violating either condition could result in his bond being revoked and his return to custody.
3/26/26
DEFENSE ATTORNEY ENTERS APPEARANCE — MATTHEW R. POLLARD RETAINED
What this means: Attorney Matthew R. Pollard of Matthew R. Pollard, LLC in Warner Robins, Georgia formally notified Houston County Superior Court that he is representing Thomas Junior Caldwell in Case No. 2026C0064603. By filing this Entry of Appearance, Pollard becomes the official attorney of record, meaning all future court communications and filings must go through him. Pollard also filed a Designation of Discovery, indicating that Caldwell’s defense is opting into the reciprocal discovery process under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 17-16-2). This means both sides — the prosecution and the defense — are required to share evidence with each other before trial.
3/26/26
PLEAS / BONDS HEARING HELD
What this means: A hearing was held in Houston County Superior Court on March 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM in the case against Thomas Junior Caldwell. Based on the documents filed that same day — including the bond order and the defense attorney’s entry of appearance — this hearing addressed Caldwell’s bond conditions and the formal appearance of his legal representation. No plea was entered at this stage.