Posted on 09/12/2006 2:10:24 PM PDT by SmithL
Trenton, N.J. -- Three animal-rights activists convicted of using their Web site to incite threats and harassment against a company that tests products on animals received prison sentences ranging from four to six years Tuesday.
They were also ordered to pay a total of $1 million in restitution to the company and people they terrorized.
Three other members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty are awaiting sentencing within the next two weeks.
Along with the organization itself, the six activists were convicted in March of using a Web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism against Huntingdon Life Sciences, a company that tests drugs and household products on animals.
The government charged that the group waged a five-year campaign against the company, posting the names, addresses and phone numbers of Huntingdon employees and those who do business with the company, and personal information such as where they go to church and where their children attend school.
Many of those people saw their homes vandalized and received threatening e-mails, faxes and phone calls.
The group, based in Philadelphia, maintains its actions were protected under the First Amendment.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
You read my mind.
"Armed robbery and aggrevated assault."
"You?"
"Animal rights activism and running a threateneing web site."
"Ben Dover."
U.S.A.
SHAC 6 Found Guilty on All Charges
Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA, or SHAC USA, and six of its members were found guilty on 2nd March of using their web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism against a company that tests drugs and household products on animals.
Kevin Kjonaas, Lauren Gazzola, Jake Conroy, Joshua Harper , Darius Fullmer, and Andrew Stepanian, will be sentenced on June 7 by Judge Anne Thompson. They are facing from one to six years each for up to six separate charges claiming that they conspired to shut down Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS)— one of the world's largest animal testing labs, operating two facilities in England and one the U.S. (East Millstone, NJ). The company was first targeted in 1989 by animal rights activists after five undercover investigations revealed grossly unethical behaviour by scientists and lab technicians including punching a beagle puppy in the face. The subsequent global campaign against HLS has brought it to near-bankruptcy.
Kjonaas, Gazzola, and Conroy were convicted of three counts of violating federal stalking laws, as well as conspiring to violate stalking and harassment laws. The most serious charge, violating the federal Animal Enterprise Protection Act, lists all of the defendants. All but Fullmer were ordered into custody with a possibility of bail pending sentencing and the website of SHAC USA has been taken down.
The government said that SHAC waged a five-year campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences, posting on its Web site information about the lab's employees and those who do business with Huntingdon, including their home phone numbers, addresses and where their children attended school.
Lead Prosecuter Charles McKenna said computers in a New Jersey home were controlled by former SHAC president Kjonaas, SHAC chief operating officer Gazzola and computer technician Conroy before their indictment in 2003. Defense lawyers countered that the SHAC 6 did not intend violence, and that unknown militants committed the vandalism.
"The government cannot find those people and they seek to lay the illegal acts of others at the feet of Kevin Kjonaas and the other defendants," said Eric Schneider, Kjonaas' lawyer.
The case marks the first prosecution under the strengthened U. S. animal enterprise law since the FBI announced that the nation's most serious threat of domestic terrorism rises from militant animal rights and environmental groups.
"What's at stake, besides our freedom, are profound implications for the First Amendment," said Kjonaas.
The activists are planning to appeal the convictions.
What is really disgusting is we the taxpayers will get to pay for their veggie diets while in prison.
Investigate and publicize their connections with liberalism and the Democratic Party, then send them to Gitmo.
These idiots were protesting the organization where I work and am in charge of security. I grabbed one of their fliers and did a quick web-search on them, and I'm glad I did. They really are a nasty bunch of characters. We gave the the hammer, right away. No need pussy-footing around with a bunch of terrorist wannabes.
The "activists" certainly beling in prison, but so do a lot of judges and politicians who are responsible for the prevalence of indefensible animal testing of largely frivolous products. It's one thing to test drugs and medical procedures on animals as a first step in establishing their safety and effectiveness in humans. It's a completely different thing to test lipstick, eyeliner, air fresheners, etc. in a way that involves administering massive quantities to determine how much it takes to maim or kill a helpless animal.
People who do incredibly stupid/careless things deserve to suffer, and do not deserve to be compensated by the product manufacturer for their incredible stupidity. Unfortunately, a great deal of product testing on animals is being conducted solely to establish a liability defense against incredibly stupid consumers. Activists who are prepared to devote time and energy to stopping this need to attack the root of the problem, not the symptom.
I suspect they will have to eat more than their share of "beef steak".
Have you ever heard a Guinea Pig squeal?
My heart bleeds.
Saw this on the wire, too:
SHAC Stiff Sentencing is a Victory for Medical Research; Precedent Setting Judgment Sends Clear Message to Animal Extremists
9/12/2006 3:35:00 PM
To: National Desk, Environment Reporter
Contact: George Goodno of the Foundation for Biomedical Research, 202-457-0654
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Foundation for Biomedical Research today applauds the stiff sentencing imposed against three members of a radical animal-rights activist group, known as SHAC USA. Federal District Court Judge Anne E. Thompson delivered the sentencing against the group and three of its six members -- who were convicted last March on all charged counts for their roles in a campaign to terrorize an animal research company and its employees.
Judge Thompson stopped short of delivering the maximum punishment available, though she did sentence the SHAC entity to five years of probation plus restitution and assessments totaling in excess of $1 million. In addition, SHAC ringleader Kevin Kjonaas was sentenced to 72 months in prison; Lauren Gazzola received 52 months and Jacob Conroy received 48 months. All six individuals have been named jointly and separately liable for restitution of the monetary fines, payable to Huntingdon Life Sciences.
Joshua Harper will be sentenced tomorrow, while Darius Fullmer and Andrew Stepanian will receive their sentencing next week.
The defendants were convicted on stalking charges which stemmed from an organized campaign that sought to cause three HLS employees and their families to fear death or injury. Their actions included "telephone and e-mail blitzes, fax blitzes and computer blockades against HLS in order to divert HLS employees from their regular work," the indictment charged.
The trial was the government's first attempt to curb the growing threat of anti-research animal extremism since the Animal Enterprise Protection Act (AEPA) was amended in 2002 to include the crime of "animal enterprise terrorism." Congress is currently considering legislation to further strengthen the AEPA. The proposed legislation (H.R. 4239 & S. 3880) broadens the definition of animal enterprise, increases penalties for causing economic disruption or damage and addresses "tertiary" or third- party targeting -- a tactic used by extremists against anyone who knows or does business with anyone involved in medical research.
"The cost of not stopping radical animal extremists is high both in financial and human terms," said FBR President Frankie Trull. "If they are not stopped, their campaigns could drive research organizations out of the country altogether. This ruling is a significant victory, especially since it was accomplished without one strong, comprehensive federal statutes in place; however, many similar extremist campaigns are still underway throughout the country and Congress must act soon to pass the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, equipping law enforcement with the tools they need to combat this growing threat."
Misguided and misinformed extremists are posing a growing threat to vital and humane medical research. For more information on the evolving landscape of the movement's tactics and strategies visit http://www.fbresearch.org/AnimalActivism/IllegalIncidents/index.htm.
-----
The Foundation for Biomedical Research is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to promoting public understanding, respect and support for humane and responsible animal research. Six Nobel laureates, 13 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 13 fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, a former Surgeon General and a former Cabinet Secretary serve on its board of directors.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
I'm an animal lover who opposes poaching and thinks we should be very careful about killing off endangered species, even if taking such precautions inconveniences us from time to time. That having been said, it sickens me to know that there are people who put animal lives above the lives of human beings. I agree that we should work to make such testing as painless as possible (just as the way in which we kill animals for food should be as pain-free as possible), but that's a far cry from opposing the use of animals to save human lives.
Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish! Maybe they can donate their lives in prison to allowing the chemical testing to be done on themselves! The stuff needs to be tested on the living to make sure it is safe, why not inmates?
I have no respect for animal activism. It has done more harm to farmers, breeders, and ways of life.
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