A judge has refused to dismiss a 2013 lawsuit against a company that wanted to open a horse slaughterhouse in Roswell.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that State District Judge Francis Matthew on Tuesday rejected the Valley Meat Co.'s argument that the lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office is no longer relevant.
Matthew also expanded a preliminary injunction to prevent another company from opening a slaughterhouse on the site.
A trial to decide whether the operation should be barred permanently is tentatively scheduled for next August.
The Attorney General asked the judge to expand the injunction because he believes Valley Meat has started a "shell company."
Valley Meat's attorney argues that the company abandoned plans to slaughter horses, something currently made impossible by Congress' refusal to fund the relevant inspections.
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