Judge Robert Shelby struck down Utah’s “ag-gag” law which was used to ban secret filming in farms and slaughterhouses by activists who expose cruel practices on animals. Utah defended the ban saying it was intended to ensure animal and farm worker safety, but Judge Shelby disagreed. America’s Lawyer host Mike Papantonio discusses this.
Transcript of the above video:
Finally tonight some good news out of Utah where a judge ruled to protect free speech over big industry. Judge Robert Shelby struck down Utah’s “ag-gag” law, which was used to ban secret filming in farms and slaughterhouses by activists who expose cruel practices on animals.
Utah defended the ban saying it was intended to ensure animal and farm worker safety, but Judge Shelby disagreed. Citing the importance of agricultural production in Utah he said:
“Utah undoubtedly has an interest in addressing perceived threats to the state agricultural industry, and as history shows, it has a variety of constitutionally permissible tools at its disposal to do so. Suppressing broad swaths of protected speech without justification, however, is not one of them.”
The lawsuit was filed by animal rights organization, PETA and Amy Meyer, the first woman prosecuted under the law after filming a sick cow being forced to walk by a front loader. Her case was dropped after public outcry from the video that showed the cruel treatment of that animal.
16 states still enforce ag-gag laws. Hopefully this ruling will set the trend for protecting free speech countrywide, and keep the cruel practices of big industry in the public light.
