BLOOMFIELD — Derrick Durall will have a different judge to hear his case, and will likely have a new location for his trial soon.
Durall faces criminal charges for his alleged role in the death of Dexter Police Department canine officer Apollo. Specifically, Durall is charged with two felony counts of animal abuse and two counts of animal neglect or abandonment.
Durall was the K-9 handler for Apollo, who lived with Durall. Durall had been the canine officer for DPD since November 2020 and had received specialized training and certification to perform the duties of that job.
Apollo was found dead in his kennel on Sunday, Feb 18, according to the report. The initial assessment from the Dexter Veterinary Clinic revealed Apollo had lost a substantial amount of weight between September 2023 and February 2024. According to the report, Apollo had lost approximately 26 lbs. During Apollo’s September veterinary visit, he was declared as a “perfectly healthy police dog” and weighed approximately 67.2 lbs. At the time of death, he weighed 41.6 lbs.
Durall initially was scheduled to have Rob Mayer as judge for his case, but Mayer recused himself from the proceedings on Monday, June 17, due to a conflict of interests, according to the filing with the court.
Replacing Mayer as judge is Robert Horack, circuit judge for the 33rd Judicial Circuit (Scott County).
Following the change in judge, Durall filed a request for a change of venue. That motion was not decided at the time of this writing.
Horack will also hear another case involving Durall, who is facing the misdemeanor charge of peace disturbance from an incident that occurred in December 2023. That matter, too, has seen a requested change of venue.
No trial date has been set in either matter at this time.