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U.S. House of Representatives Votes to Stop Horse Slaughter, Again
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 2, 2007) - Once again, Congress has voiced its opposition to horse slaughter.
The U.S. House of Representatives today approved an amendment to the 2008 Agriculture Appropriations bill that will temporarily bring horse slaughter to a halt by stripping funds from the federally required inspection of slaughter-bound horses.
Without the inspections, the slaughter cannot proceed.
Introduced by U.S. Representatives John Spratt (D-SC), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Ben Chandler (D-KY), the amendment ensures that horse slaughter stops while Congress considers the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA), a permanent ban on this abhorrent trade.
The measure must now go to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The amendment is almost identical to one that passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. Congress two years ago, with the addition of language to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from circumventing the will of Congress - as it did in 2005 when the slaughter continued.
More than 100,000 horses were brutally slaughtered in the United States last year at three foreign-owned slaughterhouses for human consumption in Europe and Asia. Tens of thousands more were exported for slaughter in Canada and Mexico.
Currently, Cavel International (DeKalb, IL) is the last remaining horse slaughter plant in operation in the country.
The only other plants, both in Texas, were effectively closed down earlier this year under state law.
A hearing on Aug. 16 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit will determine whether Cavel International will remain open or be forced to shut its doors, following last April’s passage of a similar law that was signed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
“Once again, when the entire House has the chance to vote on ending slaughter, support for a ban is overwhelming. Sadly, a few politicians and misguided business associations continue to thwart the Democratic process by stalling enactment of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act,” said Chris Heyde, deputy legislative director of the Animal Welfare Institute. “I implore these individuals to stand with the majority of Americans who support a ban on horse slaughter and allow this measure to move forward.”
The American public, over 500 animal protective organizations, horse industry organizations and veterinarians all support the effort to end the slaughter of America’s horses.
Congress must now pass the AHSPA (H.R. 503/S.311) to end the slaughter of American horses nationwide and ensure that they are not exported elsewhere to be killed for those who wish to eat them.
The Animal Welfare Institute applauds the continued leadership of the sponsors of legislation to end horse slaughter.
The organization also commends Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) for supporting efforts to protect America’s horses from this cruel industry and those who want to exploit their suffering.
For more info visit www.saplonline.org
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August 9th, 2007 at 1:55 am
In prayer, God told me to get this information to you, to put it in the hands of the man who will shine an increadable light on the subject.
The police came to my store with an illegal search warrant, designed by a former attorney of mine who turned over to the other side, and became a Prosecutor, and confiscated thousands of dollars worth of my inventory.
While interogating the Prosicutor on how he figures he’s justified in bringing crimonal charges against someone he used to represent, not to mention someone who just spent thousands of dollars on appeal, and in writt of habeas corpus’ accusing him of ineffective assistance of council, he informed me that I wasn’t being charged with anything, but that I wouldn’t get my property back, nor would I be permitted to re-open Hip Hop Hippies Inc.
Didn’t seem logical, that they could confiscate items, that weren’t illegal to sale, and prompt a court to destroy them, so I contacted two different attorneys, who advised me that his actions were in stark contrast to the law, where the conflict of interest clause is concerned, I ellected to re-open the store and invited him down for the grand re-opening.
He was so mad, that; he had me thrown in jail for three days, and confiscated my wheelchair, leaving me to sit on a bed from Friday to Sunday, without even an avenue to the bathroom.
Ironicaly, the jury rejected his three charges less than thirty minutes into their deliberations, causing those three days in the pokey, without my wheelchai,r to be the subject of a false arrest, and an illegal period of incarceration.
Please forward this letter of information to the proper people. I need you, in order to acquire the national spot light for a minute, and show the world what the system of things in this country is capeable of. We are talking about being re-charged for the same crime in a different court, even though another court already found me not guilty already!
CHEYENNE (AP) - The Wyoming Supreme Court has upheld a Campbell County judge’s order that a Gillette smoking accessories shop forfeit pipes and bongs, even after a state jury acquitted the man of possessing drug paraphernalia.
Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling said Judge Michael N. Deegan was correct in finding that Jeffrey W. Doles’ acquittal on misdemeanor criminal charges of delivery and possession of drug paraphernalia does not block state prosecutors from seeking forfeiture of items police seized.
The Gillette Police Department is holding 330 pieces of drug paraphernalia taken from Doles, owner of Hip Hop Hippies smoke shop.
Gillette lawyer Nicholas H. Carter represented Doles. A message left for him by the Associated Press on Tuesday was not immediately returned.
The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office argued in favor of the forfeiture. Attorney General Pat Crank was unavailable for comment Tuesday, his office said.
Since Doles’ acquittal in state court last year, he has been charged in federal court with three felony counts of selling drug paraphernalia. Doles could face up to nine years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Doles had been scheduled to go on trial before U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer in Cheyenne in August on the federal charges. The trial has been postponed, however.
Doles is represented in federal court by public defender Raymond P. Moore, who has asked Brimmer to dismiss one federal charge alleging that Doles offered to sell drug paraphernalia in 2005.
In his motion, Moore states that Doles called local prosecutors after his acquittal in state court and told them that he intended to reopen his business.
“Prior to selling any tobacco items through his business, law enforcement came to the store and saw the defendant stocking his shelves with tobacco accessories,” Moore states. “Law enforcement arrested the defendant in anticipation of his opening his business.”
Moore argued that authorities brought felony charges against Doles in federal court because they were frustrated about his acquittal in state court.
Reader Comments
crazy talk wrote on Aug 1, 2007 8:29 AM:
” I do not see how the government can win this battle. There are laws that protect people like Doles, and if he even gets a simi good lawyer, he will be found not guilty. Unless they found drugs on his person, but if not then there is no law agenst selling “tobacco” products. What others do with the products is not hanging on Doles. ”
Jeffrey W. Doles wrote on Aug 1, 2007 7:16 AM:
” The Just-us’s serving on the Wyoming SupreW Court aught to be ashamed of themselves for washing the back of it’s filthy brotherin this obvious case of “How Do We Hide This One?” I promise you, it will be a cold day in Hell before I take their callus indifferance laying down. A jury acquitted me on one count of possesion of Drug Paraphernalia, and two counts of possesion of drug paraphernalia with intent to deliver, Now, you’re going to let a lower court judge, come in and overturn their verdict? What do you think the jury who’s verdict, by your decision, was rendered null and void? I’m calling on you now, if you were a member of my jury, and do not like the slap in the face that The Wyoming Supreme Court just delivered you, then you need to start with a letter to the editor, or to me jeffrey@hiphophippiesinc.com so that we can enlighten our fellow human beings. Your System Sucks, and I hope you’re offended by me saying that, because I said it to offend you!What a pathetic display of back washing, It’s so blantantly wrong, that they can’t even hide the obvious! ”
Jeffrey W. Doles wrote on Aug 1, 2007 2:51 AM:
” It’s just-us, not justice, and this is the biggest crock of it i’ve ever seen. What a pathetic display of “Wash my back” this has been. Maybe someone should ask the jury who said it wasn’t drug paraphernalia, how they like being second guessed by a Kangaroo Court Judge, or maybe we all should just continue laying by our bowls, like the dogs that we are! the system sucks, thats all there is to it, we don’t need a jury’s verdict to establish that, we all know that the system sucks, and the Wyoming Supreme Court should be ashamed of itself for allowing this type of game playing to go on within it. I said that, and I hope they don’t like it. Pathetic! ”
ourfreedomsgone wrote on Jul 31, 2007 1:25 PM:
” Another example of government interfearing in every aspect of a persons daily life. ”
wes wrote on Jul 31, 2007 12:45 PM:
” So, let’s see. The defendant never sold any of the items as police closed him down before the store even opened and now he faces 9 years for something that never happened? How is that justice? ”
Please log on to http://www.hiphophippiesinc.com read the whole story, and then forward it to everyone you think might have an interest in exposing a mofioso style, system of government, for thinking that they are above their own laws. My civil rights have been violated to such an extreme, that it caused the Largest news paper in my state to openly chastize the prosecutor, in an editorial opinion by saying “… what happened should worry anyone who cares about civil libertiesut” and : the action taken by Campbell County Attorney Bill Eichelberger smacks of vindictiveness… there’s something decidedly un-American about a public policy that punishes someone who — according to a jury verdict — has committed no crime… the prosecutor brought criminal charges against Doles. A jury rejected them. The case should have ended there… We hope the Wyoming Supreme Court will overturn the forfeiture on appeal.”
Please forword this email to thye proper people, I need your help in a big way, nine years of my life are hanging in the balance of this vendictive prosecution. It is our mission here at GHip Hop Hippies Inc. to point a generation of young minds in the direction of the truth, and encourage them to believe, that, our creator didn’t make mistakes.
Someone out there, that you know, has an interest in exposing this terrible miscarage of justice, God wouldn’t have moved me to contact you if he didn’t!