Skip to main content

Trial. The Plaintiffs Rest. Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. February 2009.

Back in November 2008, animal rights advocates and organizations were disappointed when the trial of Ringling Barnum & Bailey Circus didn't begin as scheduled due to another dilatory tactic by the defendants. They introduced another set of experts that necessarily had to be vetted, or cross-examined, by the plaintiffs before the trial could begin. Ringling has successfully delayed their court appearance by several years by employing such dilatory tactics. In August 2007, Tracy Silverman, General Counsel for the Animal Welfare Institute, said "After five years of legal wrangling, we look forward to unveiling the curtain at trial to expose the suffering and death of elephants at the hands of the so-called 'Greatest Show on Earth". These magnificent animals will finally have their day in Court."

Back then, Judge Emmet Sullivan of the federal district court in Washington D.C. scolded the circus for "wasting a considerable amount of time and resources" by employing "dilatory" tactics over several years.

The trial finally began in early February 2009 and since then the plaintiffs have decided to avoid public updates on the trial in an effort preserve and protect their case. And so animal welfare advocates have been in the dark so far. I managed to reach Tracy Silverman who graciously provided me with some basic information. According to Ms. Silverman, the court works on a 4-day week schedule, Friday being the free day. She also confirmed that the plaintiffs have rested their case. So, in other words, the plaintiffs have finished arguing their case. The court is now waiting for the defense to make their case, and that is expected to begin on Tuesday, March 3rd. Ms. Silverman expects this phase of the trial to take at least two weeks, possible three. Doing the simple math, we can expect the trial to end around the third week of March 2009. Ms. Silverman expressed some hope for presenting in the very near future the exhibits submitted as evidence by the plaintiffs, now that they have rested their case. The Animal Welfare Institute has a webpage dedicated to the trial, and you can see it at : http://www.awionline.org/wildlife/elephants/rbsuit.htm

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Philippines. Reporting Animal Cruelty. Emergency Numbers. RA 8485.

Because I belong to an group of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines, I can read the numerous discussions between group members and people who, seems to me, just signed up to make an urgent plea for help. There were two this week who begged for assistance concerning two dogs who were tied up under rain and sun with no food nor water. One was described to be on the verge of a heat stroke. The images that filled my mind disturbed me immensely, but I am also encouraged at the same time. There is a growing number of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines and ordinary citizens are beginning to reject animal cruelty, willing to take personal action against it. Just from this website, I can see from the visitor data that many are seeking information on how to report animal cruelty in the Philippines. You can find my previous post on the subject HERE . Keep in mind that your complaint has legal standing via the Philippine Animal Welfare Act which is also known as the RA 8485 ....

William Baber, Tennessee Vet Gone Bad.

Euthanasia is suppose to be merciful. When William Baber had his way, it was far from it. Baber used the very cruel " heart stick " method minus the sedation. This means that the animals could spend as long as 30 agonizing minutes before death actually occurred. Undercover video showed that William Baber even stepped on the animals to immobilize them for the injection. Do I sound like I am describing an executioner and not a veterinarian? Very sad, isn't it? The video showed dogs’ tails visibly wagging and cats are flailing before they’re given the lethal injection . "It’s just a horrible, horrible way for an animal to die,” said former euthanasia technician June McMahon. Tennessian.com reported that " still conscious, the cats were described by inmates as 'going wild' after being placed in a container, with as many as 10-15 of them being dumped on top of each other in a 'cruel manner,' authorities allege.These animals were allegedly placed ...

Three Members of the Philippine Shooting Team and the Killing of Protected Philippine Wildlife

When a member of the animal or plant kingdom goes extinct, there will be no second chances. Evolution will simply not repeat itself. There are reportedly eighty bird species that are unique to the Philippines and many of them have already made it to the endangered list. And we, to a great extent, have indiscrimate hunting to thank for it. In spite of two national laws protecting Philippine animals, the carnage continues unabated. The killings could occur as arbitrarily as guys getting together for macho time, or as a result of a well-planned hunting trip involving speed boats, bird callers, and camouflaged outfits. Either way, the outcome is the same. Philippine wildlife, our natural treasures, inches closer to a state of irreparable vacancy. Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing c...