NATCHEZ — A Natchez man who was sentenced to 6 months in jail for starving three dogs to death is out of jail awaiting a new trial in Adams County Court.

County Judge Walt Brown ordered the new trial Wednesday after Kelvin King, 45, appealed the 6-month jail sentence set by Justice Court Judge Eileen Maher on April 30.

The new trial — known as a trial de novo — is a standard court procedure used when the ruling from justice court, municipal court and other bench courts is appealed to a higher court.

King pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to a dog and received the maximum sentence for the first-offense misdemeanor.

King was arrested March 20 when deputies found the decomposed remains of three dogs on his property.

King told Maher he wasn’t staying on the property and thought the dogs were being tended to. He said he only checked on the dogs by phone.

King appealed his sentence to county court.

King is out on appeal and was ordered to post a $2,700 bond by the end of the day Wednesday or face going back to jail until the new trial set for 9 a.m. on June 12 at the Adams County Courthouse.