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Bond Ordered in Slaughterhouse Legal Fight
A federal magistrate in Albuquerque, N.M., has ordered animal rights groups that won a temporary ban on domestic horse slaughter to post a bond of nearly $500,000 as they continue their legal fight.
U.S. Magistrate Robert Scott settled on the amount Aug. 8 after hearing from attorneys who represent two companies that had planned to begin operations this week at slaughterhouses in New Mexico and Iowa.
The attorneys argued that the delay could be "devastating," costing their clients more than $1.5 million in lost revenues in just one month. The case could drag on for months and the losses could reach tens of millions of dollars, they said.
"The bond requires the plaintiffs to put their money where their mouth is. There are real-life consequences to these actions and we're appreciative of the judge recognizing that," said lawyer Pat Rogers, who represents Responsible Transportation, a company formed by three young men who have collected nearly $3 million from family, friends and other investors to open a plant in the town of Sigourney, Iowa.
U.S. Magistrate Robert Scott settled on the amount Aug. 8 after hearing from attorneys who represent two companies that had planned to begin operations this week at slaughterhouses in New Mexico and Iowa.
The attorneys argued that the delay could be "devastating," costing their clients more than $1.5 million in lost revenues in just one month. The case could drag on for months and the losses could reach tens of millions of dollars, they said.
"The bond requires the plaintiffs to put their money where their mouth is. There are real-life consequences to these actions and we're appreciative of the judge recognizing that," said lawyer Pat Rogers, who represents Responsible Transportation, a company formed by three young men who have collected nearly $3 million from family, friends and other investors to open a plant in the town of Sigourney, Iowa.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/79961/bond-ordered-in-slaughterhouse-legal-fight#ixzz2bUrIyGiv
Is this business as usual? Is it usual for a plaintiff to have to "post a bond" to have their case heard in court? Having never taken anyone to court, I admit ignorance on the procedure.
Whatever you might think of the issue, I'm disturbed by the idea that a citizen, or citizens, can't have their day in court without paying money up front.
As for the issue, as a life-long custodian of horses, I'm against their slaughter, but that's a different debate.