[brief] COUNTER STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY AND FACTS ...........................................1  LEGAL ARGUMENT ........................................................................................................3  POINT I ...............................................................................................................................3  THE TRIAL COURT PROPERLY DENIED DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS THE COMPLAINT.  CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................22  ###  TABLE OF AUTHORITIES  ####  Cases - **Brown v. Entm’t Merchs. Ass’n**, 564 U.S.789 (2011)..........................9 n.9 - **Edmondson v. Pearce**, 91 P. 3d 605 (Okla. 2004)..........................14, 14 n.13 - **Fuster v. Twp. of Chatham**, ___ N.J. ___ (2025)........................................19 - **Ge Solid State v. Director, Division of Taxation**, 132 N.J. 298 (1993).......7, 17 - **Gonzalez v. State**, 941 So. 2d 1226 (Fla. App. 2006).................................13 - **Harris v. State**, 2000 Ariz. App. Unpub. LEXIS 5 (Ariz. App. 2000)...........12 - **Lee v. State**, 973 N.E. 2d 1207 (Ind. App. 2012).............................13, 13 n.12, 14 - **Mortimer v. Board of Review**, 99 N.J. 393 (1985).................................7 - **N.J.S.P.C.A. v. Bd. of Educ. of East Orange**, 91 N.J. Super. 81 (Law. Div. 1966)......................................................8 n.8 - **Peck v. Dunn**, 574 P. 2d 367 (Utah 1978)........................................14 n.13 - **People v. Bergen**, 883 P. 2d. 532 (Colo. App. 1994)............................12 - **People v. Cumper**, 268 N.W. 2d 696 (Mich. App. 1978).......................11 - **People v. Elder**, 201 Cal. App. 3d 1061 (5th Dist. Cal. App. 1988)..........14, n.13 - **State v. Afanador**, 134 N.J. 162 (1993)..............................................21 - **State v. Butler**, 89 N.J. 220 (1982)......................................................7 - **State v. Demarest**, 252 N.J. Super. 323 (App. Div. 1991).....................6 - **State v. Derry**, 250 N.J. 611 (2022).....................................................4 - **State v. Hartobey**, No. A-3498-22 (App. Div. October 25, 2024)...........20, 21 State v. Higginbotham, 257 N.J. 260 (2024)..............................................19 State v. Lvons, 417 N.J. Super. 251 (App. Div. 2010)...............................19, 20 State v. Martinez-Mejia, 477 N.J. Super. 325 (App. Div. 2023)..................19 State v. N.I., 349 N.J. Super. 299 (App. Div. 2022).................................21 State v. Olivero, 221 N.J. 632 (2015).....................................................19 State v. Rovito, 99 N.J. 581 (1985).........................................................6 State v. Saavedra, 433 N.J. Super. 501 (App. Div. 2013)..........................4 State v. Scheld, Nos. A-1815-12T4, A-1816-12T4 (App. Div. November 6, 2015).........................................................20 State v. Sewell, 127 N.J. 133 (1992).......................................................6  State v. Tabor, 678 S.W. 2d 45 (Tenn. 1984)........................................14, n.13  State v. Tate, 220 N.J. 393 (2015).........................................................19  State v. Thompson, 444 N.J. Super 619 (Law Div. 2014).........................4 n.4  State v. Twiggs, 233 N.J. 513 (2018).....................................................4  State v. Warmbrun, 277 N.J. Super. 51 (App. Div. 1994)..........................4  United States v. Stevens, 559 U.S. 460 (2010).......................................9  Statutes  5 L.P.R.A. § 1671(b)(1)...........................................................................10 n.10  7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)(2)(A)........................................................................10 n.10  9 G.C.A. § 70.35....................................................................................10 n.10  Model Jury Charge (Criminal), “Animal Cruelty – Cause/Procure (N.J.S.A. 4:22-17c(3))” (June 7, 2021)……………………………………………………………16  COUNTER STATEMENT OF PROCEDURAL HISTORY AND FACTS