SANTA ROSA, Calif. — In a case that has attracted national attention, jurors found animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg guilty of trespassing and conspiracy for taking four chickens from a Northern California processing plant. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Animal Activist Legal Defense Project confirmed the verdict.
Rosenberg, 23, openly acknowledged taking the chickens, arguing she was rescuing them from a cruel environment. This conviction places her at risk of over five years in prison. If sentenced, Rosenberg’s legal team plans to appeal the decision, according to her spokesperson, Lauren Gazzola.
Her attorney, Chris Carraway, criticized the proceedings, stating, “Sonoma County spent over six weeks and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to protect a multi-billion-dollar corporation from the rescue of four chickens worth less than $25.” Rosenberg's actions occurred at Petaluma Poultry, a supplier to Perdue Farms, one of the largest poultry providers in the United States.
The defense maintained that the trial was not solely about the act of taking the chickens but centered on the underlying motivation of rescue. Conversely, the prosecution emphasized that her actions were illegal regardless of intent.
The jury's decision comes amidst a growing discourse on animal rights and the ethics of poultry processing, especially in agricultural regions like Sonoma County. Two years prior, another co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere faced conviction for similar acts against factory farming practices in Petaluma, underscoring the ongoing tension between animal activists and industrial agriculture.
