Animal-rights activist who filmed egg farm draws 6-month sentence

[Elad]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--eggfarm0516may16,0,7018327.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

Animal-rights activist who filmed egg farm draws 6-month sentence

By BEN DOBBIN
Associated Press Writer

May 16, 2006

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- An animal-rights activist drew a maximum six-month jail sentence Tuesday for sneaking onto New York state's largest egg farm to videotape thousands of chickens confined to small wire cages.

Adam Durand, 26, was convicted earlier this month on three counts of criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 90 days, fined $1,500, ordered to serve 100 hours of community service and placed on probation for a year.

Durand denied breaking into a shed during three nighttime visits in 2004, saying he climbed in through a hole in a wall. He also said he had no intention of removing birds from the farm operated by Rochester-based supermarket chain Wegmans where 700,000 hens produce more than a half-million eggs a day.

-snip-

Durand's lawyer, Len Egert, said he hadn't expected him to receive any jail time.

"I think it's excessive, given the circumstances," Egert said. "This is a low-level misdemeanor offense and Adam has no prior criminal record. For Wegmans to come in and ask for the maximum and get it is disturbing."

-more at link-

[ThomCat]

1. And nothing happens to the company?

What a wonderful message this sends. A kid with a well developed sense of ethics get the book thrown at him. The company with a stunted sense of ethics get their way.
:grr:

And here I thought Wegmans was supposed to be one of the good companies.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Sothe guy who took the pics, got more punishmetn that the other two who

took the sick hens? I hope there is an appeal possible.

Two friends who accompanied Durand to the farm in Wolcott pleaded guilty to trespassing and petit larceny, both misdemeanors, and were placed on probation.

[LeftyMom]

4. He helped to take the hens as well

but the other two pled out and he went before a jury and was found not guilty on the theft charges for taking the sick chickens.

[Critters2]

3. Egg farms are just very large torture chambers

owned by greedy corporations.

Living in Iowa, I've seen these nightmares firsthand. Jail time? He should be given a medal!!

[Robeson]

5. Corporate rights supersede human and animal rights....

...what a great country we live in....

[CrispyQ]

8. Corporate personhood must be revoked.

Their unrelenting quest for profit is ruining our societies & planet. We must reign in these behemoths & put them in their proper place. They were created to serve human purposes, of which profit can certainly be a part, but not the driving force. I believe we are on a path where the masses will serve the corporations & their human minions. --Maybe I should back off Neuromancer a bit, huh? ;)

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/history_corporations_us.html

snip...


When American colonists declared independence from England in 1776, they also freed themselves from control by English corporations that extracted their wealth and dominated trade. After fighting a revolution to end this exploitation, our country's founders retained a healthy fear of corporate power and wisely limited corporations exclusively to a business role. Corporations were forbidden from attempting to influence elections, public policy, and other realms of civic society.

Initially, the privilege of incorporation was granted selectively to enable activities that benefited the public, such as construction of roads or canals. Enabling shareholders to profit was seen as a means to that end.

The states also imposed conditions (some of which remain on the books, though unused) like these:

* Corporate charters (licenses to exist) were granted for a limited time and could be revoked promptly for violating laws.

* Corporations could engage only in activities necessary to fulfill their chartered purpose.

* Corporations could not own stock in other corporations nor own any property that was not essential to fulfilling their chartered purpose.

* Corporations were often terminated if they exceeded their authority or caused public harm.

* Owners and managers were responsible for criminal acts committed on the job.

* Corporations could not make any political or charitable contributions nor spend money to influence law-making.

[NMMNG]

6. Can you say "overkill"?

I knew you could.

People who commit actual crimes are running the streets, and this guy ends up with all of this thrown at him. :wtf:

[CrispyQ]

7. They must make an example of someone.

Durand's lawyer, Len Egert, said he hadn't expected him to receive any jail time.

"I think it's excessive, given the circumstances," Egert said. "This is a low-level misdemeanor offense and Adam has no prior criminal record. For Wegmans to come in and ask for the maximum and get it is disturbing."

From the article you linked to in the animal rights activist presents to FBI thread:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=9510

snip...

As a finale to my lecture, I questioned why the only difference between a criminal and a terrorist--according to the US Code of Federal Regulations as listed on the FBI website--relates to the latter’s desire to further “political or social objectives.” The word “terrorist” evokes the image of an evil person while the word “criminal” has a less pejorative connotation, even when the offenses are the same.

One can only assume that “furthering political or social objectives” frightens those in power, who crave to maintain the status quo. Perhaps those who control society—such as corporations, government entities and media conglomerates--fear the ideology of an animal liberationist could catch hold and topple them from their golden thrones, reducing their animal product profits and a overturning a lifestyle which requires nonhumans be seen as means to a human end. Is this the true reason behind branding the ALF as “terrorists?”