John,
There is so much that goes into a trial before the jury arrives: arguments about what evidence will be allowed, what witnesses can testify, and what specific instructions the jury will get, including what defenses they will be told to consider. It honestly feels kind of like a game that the judge and attorneys design for the jurors to play—but with someone’s freedom on the line.
We’re still in this “design” stage of the Perdue Rescue Trial. Critical decisions are being made right now that will shape what evidence the jury sees.
Yesterday, two key defense witnesses took the stand in court, outside the presence of the jury: |
- Animal caretaker Carla Cabral
- Investigator Raven Deerbrook
|
They were questioned by the prosecutors and by defense counsel Kevin Little and the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project’s Chris Carraway. The judge wanted to preview aspects of their testimony in order to determine the admissibility of certain evidence.
First, the court heard from Carla, who is the lead of DxE’s animal care team and was the primary caretaker of Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea after Zoe rescued them. The judge wanted to hear about her credentials and experience in order to decide whether to allow her as an expert witness. Carla testified about her relevant degrees, her extensive experience as a veterinary technician triaging animals brought to the emergency room, and her years of experience leading animal care at animal sanctuaries. |
|
Judge Gnoss said he was impressed by Carla’s knowledge of birds and ruled that she will be allowed to testify as an expert on animal care! After this ruling, Deputy District Attorney Jessalee Mills tried several times to convince Judge Gnoss to change his mind until he finally said, “I'm tired of arguing over this. She's going to testify as an expert in a limited way."
Next we heard from Raven, whose investigations into major slaughterhouses have been published by The Intercept, Wired Magazine, The New York Times, and more.
Raven investigated Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse in the months of April, May, and June of 2023, sharing her findings with Zoe in real-time. This included photographs Raven took of USDA documents she saw inside the slaughterhouse, listing large numbers of animals reaching the slaughterhouse dead on arrival and others being condemned (removed from the food supply) for reasons like septicemia (blood poisoning).
The judge wanted to hear from Raven for a few reasons, most critically to decide whether she could lay the foundation for these documents to be admitted as evidence.
These records are crucial. First of all, the information they contain helped shape Zoe’s beliefs about the animal suffering happening at Petaluma Poultry and her intent on the night of June 13th when she rescued four sick birds. These condemnation records also were part of the evidence that veterinarians relied upon in rendering their expert opinions about the conditions at Petaluma Poultry, which further formed Zoe’s understanding. If these documents are not allowed into the trial, then our expert veterinarian witnesses will not be able to present a full picture of the disturbing conditions at Petaluma Poultry.
Judge Gnoss noted, “This is a critical issue for both sides,” and said he would take this matter under submission. We expect a ruling very soon.
Your support is vital as we continue on with trial. Right now, new monthly gifts of any size will be boosted by an additional $100 donation from a supporter. At $25+/month, you’ll also receive a limited edition Right to Rescue mug featuring animals at the heart of these trials. Your donation helps support the cost of trial and our campaign against Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry. Please become a monthly donor today. |
Direct Action Everywhere
PO Box 4782, Berkeley, CA 94704
|
|
Unsubscribe - Unsubscribe Preferences |
|
|
|
