USDA drops yearslong enforcement action against Alabama horse trainer
April 17, 2026
Birmingham, Alabama; April 17, 2026: An Alabama horse trainer is finally free from a yearslong federal enforcement action after the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to permanently abandon its case against him. David Latham, who trains Tennessee Walking Horses with his father at their Northern Alabama stable, had been subject to an unconstitutional in-house enforcement action for alleged violations of the Horse Protection Act that threatened him with significant fines and a career-ending industry ban.
“By forcing David into a one-sided in-house tribunal, the government denied him the fair process the Constitution requires,” said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Josh Robbins. “This result ensures David can move forward without the threat of crushing fines or a career-ending ban, and it underscores the urgent need to rein in agency adjudication that evades meaningful judicial oversight.”
The resolution frees Latham from the USDA’s tribunal permanently and spares him from the fines and ban that threatened to end his livelihood. While the constitutional issues remain unresolved in this case, Pacific Legal Foundation continues to press those claims in Manis v. USDA, now pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Along with Thomas R. DeBray, Jr., a partner with the Balch & Bingham LLP law firm in Birmingham, Pacific Legal Foundation represents Latham free of charge. The case is David Latham v. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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About Pacific Legal Foundation
Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse. Since our founding in 1973, we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights. With active cases in 34 states plus Washington, D.C., PLF represents clients in state and federal courts, with 18 wins of 20 cases litigated at the U.S. Supreme Court.