A Litigation Article from All-Creatures.org



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Beaver County Will Pay $52,000 to Settle Activists' Free Speech Lawsuit

From Cassie King, DxE, Direct Action Everywhere
August 2023

The activists who filed the lawsuit were in Beaver to talk to residents about the upcoming Smithfield Trial, in which two DxE investigators were facing 10 years in prison for rescuing two sick and dying piglets from Smithfield's abuse.

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Officials in Beaver County, Utah have agreed to pay $52,000 in damages to Direct Action Everywhere SF Bay Area, Utah Animal Rights Coalition, and three individuals, in addition to paying for all their attorney fees, to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit brought in August 2022.

The lawsuit was filed after Beaver County police officers violated the First Amendment rights of animal rights activists who were simply leafletting to spread awareness about cruelty to animals occurring at a nearby Smithfield Foods pig factory farm.

The activists who filed the lawsuit were in Beaver to talk to residents about the upcoming Smithfield Trial, in which two DxE investigators were facing 10 years in prison for rescuing two sick and dying piglets from Smithfield's abuse. The two piglets, Lily and Lizzie, were treated by veterinarians in Utah and ultimately taken to an animal sanctuary to live out their lives in peace and safety. Their rescuers were acquitted of all charges by a jury in October 2022.

And today we have more good news. The plaintiffs in this successful lawsuit will be distributing their proceeds from the $52,000 to charitable organizations that help animals, including the sanctuary where Lily and Lizzie were taken. ❤️

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