From Farmed Animal Watch
http://www.FarmedAnimal.net
James Biggers, CEO of Cypress Foods, will not face
prosecution for the two hundred thousand chickens who died last March at
the company's Florida operation. More than 1 million birds in Florida
and Georgia starved or were killed after the company went bankrupt. In
Florida, an estimated 30,000 chickens starved after going 10-15 days
without food. Another 170,000 were gassed and buried. Animal rights
activists "stormed" the facility and removed hundreds of birds before
being stopped from doing so. Biggers faced cruelty charges with a
possible sentence of 5 years in prison.
On September 11th, the State Attorney's office announced
there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, noting that the company
fell on hard times after the price of eggs dropped. Gene Bauston of Farm
Sanctuary countered that Biggers made decisions that caused the birds'
deaths, explaining: "They were [Biggers'] birds; they were his
responsibility." An attorney with the Humane Society of the United
States plans to push for legislation requiring large farms to post bonds
that could be tapped to pay for feed when facilities go out of business.
"Farm owner won't be charged in deaths of chickens," St.
Petersburg Times, Chas Squires, September 11, 2002.
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/11/news_pf/Pasco/Farm_owner_won_t_be_c.shtml
"Chicken Farm Owner Won't Be Prosecuted in Starvation Episode," Tampa
Bay Online, Andy Reid, September 12, 2002.
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGA998T606D.html
Go on to Letting A Friend Go
Return to 15 September 2002 Issue
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