Posted on 08/04/2006 1:05:03 PM PDT by neverdem
Vernon - The trial of four animal-rights activists arrested last Dec. 7 in Wawayanda State Park opened last Thursday in Vernon.
Vernon police arrested the four, who were protesting the week-long bear hunt during which hunters shot 297 bears, including 89 in Wawayanda.
During the five-hour court session, four witnesses for the prosecution testified and were cross-examined about the events that led to the arrests of Angi Metler, 49, of Vernon, director of the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance; Terry Fritzges, 57, of East Windsor; Albert Kazemian, 49, of Vernon; and Janet Piszar, 52, of Millburn. The four face a total of 17 charges. A fifth activist escaped arrest by running deep into the woods, according to the police report.
After the prosecution rested its case, the trial was adjourned to an unspecified future date.
Testifying for the prosecution about the events of the day were N.J. State Park Police Officers Walter Sanford and Kelly Gottheiner and hunters William Devine and his son-in-law, Jon White. Devine said that having killed his quota of one bear on Dec. 6, he had come to hunt deer. White was still hoping to bag a bear.
Sanford testified that he was under orders from his superiors to work undercover, pulling hunter’s clothing over his uniform and accompanying Devine and White, who had complained to police about being berated on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 by activists wearing orange T-shirts adorned with “wounded bear rescue.”
Sanford testified that on Dec. 7, he and the hunters encountered five or six protestors on Pump House Trail.
Sanford said that although the activists were singing and shouting, they claimed to be on a bird-watching expedition. When the hunters approached the activists, they began to utter accusations and threats.
Sanford said that he tried to make peace and suggested that the hunters move in another direction, while the hunters had entreated the activists to leave them alone.
“I tried to rationale with them and said we have people fighting overseas dying for this - so people can be free to hunt and to express their opinions,” Sanford continued.
Correale presented 18 photographs Sanford said he and the hunters had taken that day in Wawayanda. Sanford testified that since Metler was videotaping hunters, he and the hunters had insisted on photographing the activist group.
After the language and threats appeared to be getting out of hand, Sanford said he decided to cut the situation short, reveal his identity, and call for backup,
“The male said he could get his Arab friends to hunt us. He was saying, ‘How would you like to be hunted?’” Sanford testified. “I said, ‘Are you going to come hurt our families?’
“He shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows, and that’s when I decided to put a stop to this. So I took off my mask, and then took off my hunting coat,” Sanford continued. “I said, ‘Sir, you are under arrest.’ I grabbed him by his right arm and said, ‘I am going to tell you one more time to come down.’
“I didn’t want to pepper-spray him. He said, ‘You are nothing but a [expletive] ranger.’ I said, ‘Put your arms behind your back.’ The group of females started to flee, and hunters were standing there with their jaws open.”
Sanford said he had decided against handcuffing Kazemian because the man had threatened to fall and split his head and sue the state.
At the beginning of Gottheiner’s testimony, the defense challenged her to supply information about the park polices’ “standard operating procedures” in an effort to show that the undercover operation had been improper and illegal because it hadn’t been done “by the book,” and thus constituted entrapment.
But Vernon Township Municipal Court Judge C. William Bowkley sustained municipal prosecutor Robert Correale’s objection.
Hunter Devine testified that Metler had been filming them with a video camera.
“Walt [Sanford] took out his camera and they all cowered and hid behind trees. So to show us they weren’t doing anything wrong, they exposed themselves,” he said, eliciting chuckles from the audience and requiring him to explain that he meant the group came out of hiding to be photographed.
“The man [Kazemian] and Angi were with us all the time, and the others were like satellites,” Devine said, adding that when Kazemian said he would get his Arab friends to come and hunt him, he was in fear for this family. He described Kazemian’s tone of voice as “forceful.”
“Kazemian stated that he had fought in the Middle Eastern war. I asked what side he was on. He didn’t say, so I thought he was on the other side,” Devine said. “When they saw [Sanford’s] badge, they froze and their jaws dropped, and Angi said, ‘You set us up,’ and I said, ‘Tell it to the judge.’ The others looked like cockroaches in the corner trying to take off.
“Then Angi hid behind a big boulder and the one satellite took off, the one they didn’t catch. I kind of felt sorry for the other one [Fritzges]. She looked like my mother, and she couldn’t really run,” Devine added.
Police charged Kazemian with disorderly conduct, hunter harassment, obstruction of the administration of the law, resisting arrest and making terroristic threats.
Since the arrest, the terroristic threats charge against Kazemian has been reduced to disorderly persons, but Kazemian’s name remains on the terrorist watch list, Vernon Police Chief Ray Wherry said.
Metler, Fritzges and Piszar face charges of disorderly conduct, hunter harassment, obstruction of the administration of the law, and resisting arrest. Each disorderly persons offenses carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Calagero said she would make 17 motions to dismiss all the charges against her four clients.
Since the arrest, the terroristic threats charge against Kazemian has been reduced to disorderly persons, but Kazemian’s name remains on the terrorist watch list, Vernon Police Chief Ray Wherry said.
S.S.S.
Just exactly who are the racists, you lefty scum? What a bunch of idiots.
Now, any hunter knows that it's pretty easy to get lost in the woods, because unless you are intimately familiar with the spot you're in, the woods pretty much all looks the same.
50-something animal rights looneys are NOT experienced woodsmen.
So here she is, some out of shape old hippie running in a panic through the woods. Getting lost. Getting even more panicky, maybe having to spend the night or several days walking in circles, trying to find her way out of the woods, no food, no water, no flashlight, no tent...
I just KNOW she had to have gotten lost out there.
Them's is fighting words. I'm glad you're on the terrorist watch list scumbag.
Here's my most recent bear encounter. A couple weeks ago.
She might even become bear food.
I wonder if that works on Local or State Police?
if they get tired of protecting bears, they can go a few miles away and start protecting the bats.
Bat endangers toxic cleanup
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1677525/posts
Why would the protect the bats, the bats are the ones that causing toxic cleanups to go extinct.
Thanks for the video!
"but Kazemian’s name remains on the terrorist watch list,....."
It should at least inconvience him if he tries to catch a flight to any future animals rights gatherings or protests. LOL
L
Terry was the only one that had a proper education but smoked too much dope at Woodstock to ever be a positive force for society. The rest were indoctrinated by Terry's peers.
If you're really lucky, you'll get to meet Eric Bunk. Eric is a bow hunter who goes to their meetings to have fun with them. Ask Eric about the Linda Smith song, out of earshot from the rest of the group. If they hear you, that will definitely get you thrown out. :)
I would pull down an evil looking shotgun, like a Mossberg 590 or a Benelli M1, and tell them that this would be the ideal gun for the job, but if they want to buy it, they have to show me their firearms purchaser id card.
Of course, they would recoil as if I tried to hand them a live cobra, and then tell me they would never own a gun.
"And just think," I'd say, "you just threatened to kill me and I own a closet full of these and you don't."
If that punk had been on a reservation in south Georgia and said that crap to some of the local rednecks they would have tied him upside down and hoisted his worthless a$$ into the top of a tree and left him for the buzzards.
Believe me no one would have helped him.
kanawa has his own bear stories.
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