By MELISSA N. WARREN / Review Appeal Staff Reporter

SILISKI

Attorneys for dog breeder Jennifer Siliski have filed a request to have the trial relocated to another county in the 21st Judicial District due to the high level of media attention.

“There’s been so much media attention regarding the charges,” said Rebecca Byrd, Siliski’s lawyer. “We’re asking to move to another county within the district in hopes that my client will have more of a chance for a fair and impartial trial. It’s about finding jurors who haven’t heard so much about the case.”

But Braden Boucek, assistant district attorney, said he’s confident the DA’s office has the ability to find a fair jury, and will address that point at a May 24 review.

Siliski is charged with 30 counts of animal cruelty for the “deplorable conditions” of her home kennel where she raised and bred Maltese dogs. The house, located at 2235 Bowman Road in Franklin, was raided on Jan. 22 and had 230 animals inside. Officials at the scene said there were feces, IV bags, urine and trash throughout the house.

Since that time, all parties involved — Siliski, the Williamson County Animal Control facility, the D.A.’s office, Siliski’s four ex-husbands, her four children and even the dogs — have faced a slew of media attention.

If the motion is granted and the venue changes, it will be to one of the three other counties in the 21st Judicial District — Perry, Hickman or Lewis.

“Perry County is the furthest away,” Byrd said. “I haven’t been down there to check it out yet, but it’ll be up to the judge to decide.”

Staff Reporter Melissa N. Warren