SAVANNAH, Ga. () – A man accused of running a dog fighting ring in Savannah was in court Tuesday.

Isaiah Goodman, aged 35, attended a court session with his lawyer and pleaded not guilty. He has requested a jury trial and has waived his right to a formal hearing.

Goodman allegedly made dogs fight each other in November 2024 and is facing 27 charges in relation.

The charges include 12 counts of cruelty to animals, nine counts of dog fighting and six counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

During Tuesday’s appearance, Goodman’s attorney expressed a concern that it may be difficult to differentiate between the charges.

“It’s impossible to differentiate between the counts of animal cruelty as they stand; thus, we are committed to adhering to the law in this matter,” he stated.

Goodman is accused of participating in dog fighting activities while he was out on bond for felony and malice murder charges connected to a fatal incident in a 2020 Garden City shooting.

Court records showed Goodman was released because his charges were not filed in time.

Goodman is still facing the murder charges in addition to the dog fighting charges.

Dates for either of those trials are unknown at this time.