Seal-Hunt Observer Trial Concludes

[Animal 0]

Seal-Hunt Observer Trial Concludes


May 9, 2008



Judge to Rule in October

ILES DE LA MADELEINE, Canada — On the final day of the trial of five seal-hunt observers from The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, Judge Jean-Paul Decoste reserved judgment until October 24, 2008. "We proved that my clients are innocent of all charges," said Clay Ruby, lawyer for the accused. "Even though the judge rejected scientific analysis of video from the incident, it was clear from simple inspection of the videos that it was absolutely impossible for the incident to have transpired as the Crown's sole witness testified. I am confident that the judge will see through the Crown's illogical arguments and clear my clients."
During testimony this week, the five defendants from HSUS/HSI reviewed video evidence, recounted the events of March 26, 2006, and discounted the statements of the arresting Department of Fisheries and Oceans officer Jean-Francois Sylvestre. Their testimony and video not only proved that the defendants were not violating the terms of their observation permits, but that they could not have been positioned as Mr. Sylvestre testified during the incident in question. Independent, scientific evidence rejected by the judge showed with scientific certainty that it was impossible for the defendants to have been closer than 19.6 meters from the sealer in question and were most likely even farther than that. Notably, no other eyewitnesses to the incident, including numerous sealers and an officer from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, were called by the Crown to confirm Mr. Sylvestre's testimony.
"Certainly, if these eyewitnesses could have verified the argument that my clients broke the law, the Crown would have asked them to testify," concluded Ruby. "No matter your feelings on the commercial seal hunt, after six days of testimony it is now perfectly clear that these charges should never have been brought in the first place. These proceedings were a waste of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars and judicial resources that should have gone towards protecting the public."The defendants — Canadians Rebecca Aldworth and Andrew Plumbly, Americans Chad Sisneros and Pierre Grzybowski, and British citizen Mark Glover — were charged with being within 10 meters of a sealer hunting a seal on the ice during the 2006 hunt.

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