A longtime Skagit County cattle rancher was sentenced to 30 days in jail and will pay $6,000 in fines for felony animal cruelty. Roger Pederson, 93, entered an Alford plea to the charges last month. An Alford plea is a guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence and does not admit to the criminal act they are accused of. According to an affidavit of probable cause, authorities raided Pederson's Bay View ranch in January, finding 72 dead cattle. Many more were literally falling over from starvation. Another 15 had to be euthanized. Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/skagit-county-cattle-rancher-animal-cruelty-sentenced/281-62b1f6c9-71de-4865-b0f9-bbf4f5541918