Julia Orr, Public Relations
January 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 12, 2015
CONTACT: T. Matthew Phillips – 323-314-6996/Julia Orr – 818 471 7573
Ag-gag Charges Dropped Against Animal Rights Activists
Utah prosecutors have dropped ag-gag charges against four animal rights
activists today. The four activists, Sarah Jane Hardt (Gage), Bryan
Monell, Hal Weiss and Robert Penney were detained for five hours in
September 2014 for allegedly photographing Circle Four pig farms in Utah.
The four defendants were charged under Utah’s ag-gag law and had entered a
remote plea of not guilty last Thursday.
Attorney, T. Matthew Phillips said they would still be filing a civil suit
for false imprisonment as he believes they were unlawfully detained for five
hours. The four activists will be facing one misdemeanor count of criminal
trespass. “I believe Utah decided to drop the case because they realized
their ag-gag law was under threat.” Said defendant Sarah Jane Hardt, “They
would rather pull out of this case than risk having this law demolished.”
-30-
Julia Orr
Public Relations
C: 818 471 7573
[email protected]
Return to Litigation
Read more at The Meat and Dairy Industries