Jul 16 2010
Ohio Dairy Update
This morning the HumaneWatch blog received a comment from an unusual visitor: David Phillips, the Prosecuting Attorney for Union County, Ohio.
Union County, you’ll remember, was the site of a recent animal rights controversy that erupted after Billy Jo Gregg, a lone dairy farm employee, physically abused several animals while an undercover activist from Mercy For Animals (MFA) passively watched and videotaped. (The Humane Society of the United States claimed it didn't have a clue about this "investigation," but it quickly and cheerfully promoted the result.)
Gregg remains behind bars and faces several serious criminal charges (as he should). But Phillips has been left with the unenviable task of cleaning up the legal mess that Gregg left in his wake.
Last week a Grand Jury refused to indict Gary Conklin, the owner of that dairy farm, even though he was pictured on the heavily edited video that made the rounds online and on television. The Grand Jurors apparently understood that while Conklin was aggressive with one particular cow, he was trying to save its life by forcing it to stand up after giving birth.
Phillips told reporters that the “edited” video released on YouTube was spliced together in a way that “creates a perception that Gary Conklin knew or participated in” Gregg’s blatant and sadistic animal abuse.
None of this has stopped animal rights groups from continuing to call for Conklin’s head on a platter. (He made the mistake of hiring Gregg, after all.) And that’s where Phillips comes back into the story. Here’s what he wrote today:
We continue to get hundreds of e-mails from activists around the world making demands that I prosecute Mr. Conklin or resign. They ignore (or don’t know) that the MFA investigator told law enforcement that Conklin did not abuse the animals, nor did he know of Gregg’s actions. The MFA investigator did not tell Conklin about the abuse.
Regarding Gregg being a “plant,” we did investigate that possibility.
I remain concerned about the threats against the Conklin family ranging from murder to tearing the farm down.
We’ve seen evidence of some of these threats as well, mostly coming from Facebook groups that serve as meeting places for activists who may be every bit as unstable as Billy Jo Gregg. Here’s hoping Mr. Phillips has the resources (and the courage) to deal appropriately with all the players in this game, including those issuing the death threats.
Posted on 07/16/2010 at 10:55 AM by the HumaneWatch Team
Animal Agriculture • Courtroom Drama • Dairy • (13) CommentsComments
What I’ve learned in the past 4 years???
H$U$ spews lies. They distort truth. They play on unsuspecting, ignorant people to make a crisis out of nothing! Please - America - WAKE UP!!!!
H$U$ is nothing more than PETA in a suit. The agenda of NO ANIMALS is the same! Do NOT give them money or power! You’re NOT helping any animals - ‘cept for Wayneo and his cronies. Go to a farm - find out for yourself! And - remember - cage free eggs can be detrimental to your health!
I’m recently retired from 20 years as a police officer and have plenty of time on my hands. If they need an extra hand on that farm/dairy, I’d be glad to bring my firearms down there for a visit.
And yet Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation embrace the H$U$....
it defies comprehension.
Kudos to David Phillips for doing what is right!
How sad that we can only single out one OHIO official that meets that standard.
Do the right thing, the morally required action and prosecute anyone who abuses those who can not speak for themselves.
The same morality must be required of anyone on a grand jury.
People who threaten violence against anyone - offender or not - discredit the cause they advocate. If I knew nothing else about HSUS, I would dismiss them as ignorant hatemongers solely for the threats their supporters have spewed in this case. “He who strikes the first blow has lost the argument.” (attributed to a Chinese proverb)
Or, maybe they are just showing their “true colors.”
Apparently, HSUS doesn’t care to control their supporters - they seem to enjoy the mayhem they create.
@Miriam - Terrorizing the “infidels” into stopping doing whatever it is the “anointed” disapprove of is SOP for all Jihadists, including the Veganist Jihad.
The H$U$ absolutely and unequivocally has no interest in controlling the hate-mongering, threat-slinging nutsos in their fold… In fact, they’ve paid for lawyers to defend several of them when said nutsos have committed felonies.
What they want - ALL they want - is to forcibly convert the entire world to Veganism, to completely outlaw all human contact with animals, and to enable the extinction of all domestic animal species. Any means to those ends is just fine with the Powers That Be at PETA, the H$U$, Sierra Club, etc.
Anyone who witnesses abuse of an animal and does not report it to someone in charge immediately should also be charged with abuse. By not reporting the abuse aren’t they silently approving the abuse? When HSUS films “abuse” for months trying to get support for “their” cause, aren’t they just as guilty?
can anyone see that this is a sick man that did this, the farm owner did not condone his actions, and the cows are now safe, so let the state prosecute, and hopefully get mental help for the guilty, and let the farmer,his family, and all else(cows and people included) heal and move forward!
I really don’t understand all of the hub bub - Just treat the animals humanely. If you’re not, then you need to change your ways. I’m all for farmers but not those that mistreat animals in the name of profit and greed.
David (and Anne), The HSUS,PETA,Sierra Club, CLF and other veg/env activist groups with radical mindsets are also usually strongly anti-corporation. Anything connected to corporations including agribusiness will be villified whether there is just cause or not. It is unlikely that you will be able to explain the concept that greed and profit are not the motivating factor that drives farmers to care for animals, because they can’t seem to get past the concept mentally. All of us who try to make a living farming fully understand that our animals require good care to be profitable and sustainable, but that explanation will not be one they find comfort or acceptance in. It is unfortunate that this closed-minded mentality seems to be taking over basic common sense.
“Anyone who witnesses abuse of an animal and does not report it to someone in charge immediately should also be charged with abuse. By not reporting the abuse aren’t they silently approving the abuse? When HSUS films “abuse” for months trying to get support for “their” cause, aren’t they just as guilty?”
I’ve always thought this too. If I was working at a place that deals with animals and saw an employee being unnecessarily harsh and cruel with them, I’d report it! And if I had a camera with me, I’d film it and then report it afterwards, not let them continue to abuse animals for months just so I can get some “good footage”!
This AR even admitted to participating in the abuse. :( Too bad he didn’t get himself on film so he could be arrested too.
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At least someone who handles prosecution in this country is willing to take the time to examine all of the facts rather than merely jump on the animal activist bandwagon. Thanks for the insight to this story.