Lawsuit to Challenge Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

Read the full article in the Washington Post....

A group of animal rights activists sued the U.S. government Thursday to challenge the constitutionality of a rarely used law they say treats them like terrorists if they cause a loss in profits for businesses that use or sell animal products.

Five activists represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston, asking that the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act be struck down as unconstitutional because it has a chilling effect on lawful protest activities

I wish them luck!

DeMuth Agrees to Plea Bargain

From the Science Insider...

Scott DeMuth, a sociology graduate student at the University of Minnesota charged last year with felony conspiracy under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act agreed yesterday to a plea bargain. DeMuth was originally charged in connection with a 2004 lab break-in at the University of Iowa that caused more than $400,000 in damage. His plea agreement does not mention the Iowa break-in. Instead, DeMuth will plead guilty to conspiring to damage a Minnesota company that breeds ferrets. (The Quad-City Times reports that DeMuth admitted to releasing ferrets and causing damage to computers and records in a 2006 break-in.) According to the plea agreement, the damage totaled less than $10,000.

DeMuth was arrested and charged in November 2009 after refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigating the Iowa break-in. DeMuth studies radical activist groups, and he argued that forcing him to break confidentiality agreements with his subjects would constitute a violation of his academic freedom.

He faces a maximum of 6 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $5000.

AETA Charges Dismissed

This is very good news from July 13, reported in Action for Animals Austin.

A U.S. district court judge today dismissed federal charges against the AETA 4, four activists charges with acts of terrorism under the Animal Enterprise Terrorist Act. In his ruling the judge stated that federal prosecutors did not show how any of the supposed activities these activists were engaged in amounted to crimes. In fact, he said their activities were protected free speech.

Here is a good analysis that appeared in Huffington Post.

Conklin Farm Owner Will Not Face Charges

From the Columbus Dispatch...

A Union County grand jury has decided the owner of a Union County dairy farm caught in an abuse scandal should not face criminal charges.

...on the tape {from an undercover investigation by Mercy for Animals,) Conklin is shown kicking a cow that is lying down.

{County Prosecutor David} Phillips said the portion of the tape shown publicly was spliced together and that Conklin's behavior was taken out of context. The Union County sheriff's office said it had four veterinarians with experience in large-animal care review the tape.

"In context, Mr. Conklin's actions were entirely appropriate," Phillips wrote in a news release this morning. "The veterinarians told law enforcement that cows who remain down are at risk of injury or death. A cow's muscles may atrophy. Once that happens, the cow may never get up and may suffer or die."

Interestingly enough, AETA has been dragged into this whole mess even though it's a case where animal abuse was probably committed by another employee facing charges.

The criminal investigation isn't over, however. Phillips said threats of violence and murder made by animal-rights activists against the Conklins are still under review and information may be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible charges under the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act.

ALF Activist Receives 21-Month Sentence

Alex Hall released 650 mink from McMullin Fur farm in South Jordan, Utah in 2008. He received a sentence of 21 months under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA.)

Hall is expected to serve the rest of his sentence in Davis County Jail, rather than be shipped to a federal prison. He is expected to be released in two or three months.

Greenpeace Activists Threatened with Terrorism Charges

It's bullshit and there is no way this can stand, but the fact that it's even been threatened is ridiculous. These people are protesters, not terrorists. This is just a tool to silence criticism of large corporations.

From the New York Times' Green Blog....

Charges have been filed against seven members of Greenpeace who boarded an offshore drilling support ship in a Louisiana port and painted anti-drilling slogans in crude oil on the vessel’s side on Monday afternoon...

The activists were charged with unauthorized entry of “critical infrastructure” and of an inhabited dwelling, according to the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s department. Both counts carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison...

A spokeswoman for the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Lesley Hill Peters, suggested that the protesters could also face terrorism-related charges. The New Orleans Joint Terrorism Task Force “is looking into the matter,” she said.

Key AETA Supporter Suspended Over Animal Welfare

Michelle Basso was a researcher at the University of Wisconsin who worked with primates. She testified in favor of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Now, she's been suspended from working with animals...

From Current.com

She was recently suspended from working with animals, a “rare move prompted by what officials called a ‘clear pattern’ of problems with animal welfare.” According to the Wisconsin State Journal:

University administrators say researcher Michele Basso has had a bumpy history, citing a lack of respect for veterinarians, incomplete record-keeping and instances where monkeys developed brain injuries…

It is unusual for the university to suspend a main researcher’s work with animals, and officials say they only do so when they perceive that the risks to animals outweigh the benefits to science and medicine…

In other words, university officials came to the same conclusion as the “terrorists,” that the results of Basso’s experiments were not worth the cruelty.

At What Point Are American Tea Baggers Labeled "Terrorists?"

According to our government, the animal rights and environmental movements are the number one domestic terrorism threat in the United States. That's BS. What about militias? White supremacists? Was Tim McVeigh who blew up the Oklahoma Federal Building an animal rights/environmental activist? What about the nut who flew his plane into the IRS building in Texas? What about the nutty Tea Party members who threaten personal violence and have already committed some property damage by throwing bricks through Congressional field office windows?

This is absolutely unfair. Green is the New Red has another good post from a few days ago about this double standard.

Examples of FBI Tactics Against Animal Rights Activist

This post is from the blog Green is the New Red. It briefly discusses some of the tactics used by the FBI against Scott DeMuth, Carrie Feldman and Peter Young. These methods include diary reading, informants, a YouTube video, MySpace, LiveJournal, etc. Interesting.

Excellent Analysis of AETA

This is an excellent analysis of the potential impacts of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. It appeared in the McNair Research Journal. I HIGHLY recommend it.

"Bold Native" is Film About Animal Rights

We received an email from Open Road Films with a link to the Bold Native website and trailer. The film looks really interesting to us and we are definitely going to check it out upon its re-release this summer. They will also be making the DVD available from their website.

Here's the trailer.

FBI Serves Search Warrant to ALF Supporter

From the Iowa City Press-Citizen...

The FBI served a search warrant Monday on a Salt Lake City home occupied by a supporter of the Animal Liberation Front.

Peter D. Young, 32, said at least eight FBI agents arrived about 11:30 a.m. The agents took computers, papers and other items it thought to be related to "animal enterprise terrorism," Young said, reciting language from the warrant.

"It's important to highlight the fact that I am being targeted just because I am a public figure on the subject" of animal rights, Young said in an interview Tuesday.

A federal judge in Iowa issued the warrant. Law enforcement there has a long-running investigation into animal releases at a University of Iowa laboratory.

Newfoundland MP Says PETA Pie Throw Could be Terrorism

She's referring to the pie thrown in the face of Fisheries Minister Gail Shea by a PETA member protesting the Canadian seal hunt.

It's pretty scary that a Liberal MP would actually question whether a pie in the face is terrorism. I'm wondering whether the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act in the US is making the rounds of Canadian politicians.

Minnesota Activist Indicted for Animal Terrorism

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune...I don't see any mention in this article (or in this one from the Chicago Tribune) about threats to human life in this incident. Straight vandalism and economic loss. Is this a valid prosecution? Is it terrorism?

Scott DeMuth, who is being held in jail in Davenport, is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court Friday.

According to the indictment, unsealed today, DeMuth committed "animal enterprise terrorism and cause[d] economic damage to the animal enterprise in an amount exceeding $10,000" between Nov. 9 and Nov. 20, 2004.

The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for vandalizing two labs and three offices at the University of Iowa on Nov. 14, 2004.

DeMuth and Carrie Feldman, another activist from Minneapolis have been jailed since Tuesday for refusing to answer questions before the federal grand jury in Davenport.

They were found in contempt of court by U.S. District Judge John Jarvey after they were offered limited immunity for their testimony before the grand jury to compel them to talk.

Animal Researchers Promote Sob Stories

I don't support animal research and I have no sympathy for animal researchers. I don't believe they are working for human welfare. I don't believe they want an honest dialogue about what they are doing to animals. I do believe they want prestige, tenure, royalties and patent rights. I believe they want to be gods in the laboratory. I don't believe they are "brave" for "standing up" to animal rights activists. I think they are clever cowards who use extremists to hide their work and to obfuscate the truth about what they do to animals and whether it is truly necessary.

I would never advocate violence against a researcher. It's not effective and it earns them undeserved sympathy. Plus it's hypocritical to take one life to save another. But as far as they are concerned, I am still an animal rights terrorist for the mere fact that I disagree with them.

I almost quit a book club a year ago because one of the members is a proponent of medical research. She is a data tech for a clinical testing company (for profit by the way.) I posted on this blog about quitting because of the New Iberia scandal in Louisiana in which the Humane Society found primates being abused. I got no support from my book club "friends" on this matter and I was going to leave in a huff.

Then I realized that if I left, then no one would ever challenge anything she said. The other women wouldn't. They're too busy eating their pot roasts, reading chick lit, and chasing after babies. I had to stay in that group because she must be challenged. All of this BS by medical researchers must be challenged. Otherwise, they portray themselves as the real victims and the rest of us as violent terrorists.

The title of this article is "Researchers to animal-rights activists: We are not afraid."

I'm sorry, but I am not moved.

Activist Indicted on Contempt Charges

I'm late on this one. The article is from October 5.

Fox 13 Now reported...

A federal grand jury has indicted an animal rights activist who refused to testify about the release of thousands of mink from Utah ranches. Jordan Halliday, 22, served several months in jail for contempt of court after he said he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination. When he was released in June, he was handed a federal grand jury indictment for contempt.

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Something to Be Concerned About

Here's a short analysis of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act which makes me wonder if what we do on this blog could be construed as falling under it.

From Alternet.org...all CAPS are my emphasis

Under the law, an animal enterprise includes any business that deals in animal research or uses or sells animal products. This could be read as anything from a lab conducting medical research on monkeys to a gas station that sells beef jerky.

Terrorism under this law might be defined as anything from physical harm to a person, the threat of physical harm to a person, physical harm to property, or, most tellingly, A LOSS OF PROFIT -- OR ANY ATTEMPT OR CONSPIRE TO INTERFERE OR DAMAGE AN ANIMAL ENTERPRISE IN ANY WAY, EVEN IF NO ECONOMIC DAMAGE ACTUALLY OCCURS. To be charged under this federal law, like most federal laws, you have to have crossed state lines, used interstate mail, or used the internet in the commission of the crime. If you and a friend GO ON THE WEB AND RESEARCH THE COMPANY whose practices you plan to protest, you may have just become a terrorist.