UC Berkeley student and animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg was found guilty on one felony charge of conspiracy and three misdemeanor charges last Wednesday, and faces up to five years in state prison.
This case stems from an incident in June 2023, when Rosenberg removed four chickens from Perdue Farms’ Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse facility on what she described as a “rescue” mission.
Rosenberg is represented by the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, who is leading the appeal process for her conviction and certain aspects of the judge’s ruling.
In an interview with The Daily Californian, Rosenberg specifically mentioned challenging the judges’ decision to deny her necessity defense, which allows an individual to break the law in order to prevent a “greater evil” against “someone.”
“In California, it doesn’t specify beyond the word ‘someone,’” Rosenberg said. “Our argument was that ‘someone’ should apply to animals, because animals are different from inanimate objects and things.”
The judge denied the argument, as animals are legally classified as “things,” according to Rosenberg. As a result, the jury was instructed not to consider whether or not what Rosenberg did was “necessary” to protect the chickens she removed.
Additionally, the judge denied some of Rosenberg’s witnesses from testifying, who she claimed had been investigating the alleged animal cruelty in the poultry farm. However, Rosenberg was able to testify at her trial. Cassie King, an organizer with Direct Action Everywhere, the animal rights activism organization Rosenberg is part of, claimed that the intent in removing the chickens was to “help suffering animals.”
According to King, the prosecution attempted to paint Rosenberg as a “radical” throughout the trial.
“It was really absurd that they spent so much time going through statements that she has made … just digging through her social media accounts and pulling statements about how slaughtering animals should be illegal,” King said.
The lead prosecutor on the case asked the judge to remand Rosenberg into custody following the determination, a move that would place her in jail until sentencing.
The judge denied this request due to Rosenberg’s lack of criminal history and her personal health concerns. Instead, Rosenberg will wear a GPS-monitored ankle bracelet to ensure she does not return to Petaluma Poultry.
“He argued that I am a threat to public safety, and it would be in the public’s interest for me to be incarcerated, despite the fact that I’ve never even been accused of a violent crime,” Rosenberg said.
In addition to the felony conspiracy charge, Rosenberg was convicted on three misdemeanors: trespass with the intent to disrupt a lawful business, trespass on agricultural lands and tampering with a vehicle, as the chickens were technically taken from inside a truck at the slaughterhouse.
Rosenberg’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3, and she faces up to five years in prison. King said Direct Action Everywhere is planning to rally people at the courthouse ahead of Rosenberg’s sentencing.
“We’re hoping hundreds of people will join us at the courthouse on December 3rd to pack the courtroom and show support for not just Zoe, but the act of rescuing animals,” King said.