It is for Elephants Beulah, Karen, and Minnie' sake that we lament this Court's failure to confront the injustice of our elephant clients' thinghood and lack of rights. It is their rightlessness that keeps them imprisoned and exploited in the Commerford Zoo.
Aug. 16, 2019 - See Statement from NhRP President Steven M. Wise regarding the decision the Connecticut Appellate Court issued today in Beulah, Karen, and Minnie's elephant rights case:
We are disappointed the Connecticut Appellate Court adopted a legally
incorrect definition of personhood that other judges have rejected, refused
us standing to sue on behalf of Beulah, Karen, and Minnie (to which we are
entitled under the Connecticut common law of habeas corpus), and denied us
the opportunity to have the hearing on the merits to which we are also
entitled. This is especially troubling as, in order to do so, the Court had
to ignore a contrary binding decision of the Connecticut Supreme Court.
It is for Beulah, Karen, and Minnie's sake that we lament this Court's
failure to confront the injustice of our elephant clients' thinghood and
lack of rights. It is their rightlessness that keeps them imprisoned and
exploited in the Commerford Zoo. We look forward to seeking further review
of this decision in the Connecticut Supreme Court, and we feel both hopeful
and confident that it will accept our request as a matter of law and
justice.
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