Posted on 02/28/2006 9:30:00 AM PST by presidio9
The Ringling Bros. circus infiltrated animal rights groups, stole sensitive internal documents and illegally wiretapped circus opponents as part of a national conspiracy to disrupt animal rights groups, a lawyer told a Fairfax County, Va., jury Monday.
The allegations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals launched a trial five years in the making. It also culminates a lengthy legal battle between PETA and Kenneth Feld, whose family has owned the circus for nearly 40 years.
During opening statements, PETA accused Feld of overseeing the espionage campaign against it and other animal rights organizations. Feld's attorney responded that infiltrating groups is not a crime, that PETA was not harmed by any alleged action by Feld or his employees and that Feld did not know of the operation or do anything illegal. Monitoring rights groups was necessary to protect the circus and its customers, Feld's attorney argued, and he noted donations to PETA have risen, not fallen, since the start of the conspiracy.
Feld was sued by PETA in Fairfax because headquarters for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is in the county. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
PETA's first witness was a man with no love lost for either side: Charles F. Smith, former chief financial officer of Feld Entertainment and the immediate supervisor of the investigator who launched the covert probes into PETA and others. In 1997, Feld fired Smith after he was arrested for surveilling his girlfriend. Smith then sued Feld and tipped off some animal rights activists to the circus's clandestine operations, PETA attorney Philip Hirschkop said in his opening statement.
Smith acknowledged Monday that he hired private investigator Richard Froemming to not only monitor such groups as PETA and the
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
For some reason, I'm laughing and am not sympathizing...
BOO HOO HOO
THIS IS GREAT! How did they find out? Somebody asked, "Who the heck is this clown?"
Ringling was protecting itself and its animals from a terrorist organization.
Wish I was on that jury.
PETA infiltrates super markets, barns, circus' etc and stages abuse which it videotapes inorder to destroy the industries. And they don't like it when their tactics are used against them.
Busted. |
When I saw this article, I couldn't help but think of the scene from Octopussy when James Bond dresses up as a clown to infiltrate the East German circus terrorists.
Come on, the guy switched out his red nose for a green one, and wore the little feet instead of the big feet.
How were the Peta folks to know.
A PETA girl assumes the position!
Syping on terrorists! Shame!
my thoughts exactly. they have been, and probably still are, doing the same thing, but it is just horrible when someone dares turn the tables on them. LOL too fluffing bad!!!
turnabout... fair play...
Not that PETA would know anything about character.
PETA is a terrorist group. Somebody ought to be infiltrating it.
I am surprised they have not gotten into terrorist acts at supermarkets. I might start buying all my steaks from Omaha Steaks.
Horrors! Imagine that, Ringling Brothers hiring a private investigator to protect itself against a group linked to terrorism and vandalism.
I sense a new PETA protest brewing...PETAple in circus cages, naked, eating and drinking from bowls, being whipped by guys in ringmaster and clown suits.
WAY TO GO RINGLING BROS! TAKE THAT PETA/ACLU LAWYER PUKES!
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