Voice of the Voiceless

Today I was sent a copy of judge Benson’s ruling in the ongoing case of Animal Liberation Front prisoner William “BJ” Viehl, charged with liberating 650 mink from a fur farm in Utah. In it, the judge lays out his argument for denying Viehl’s motion accusing the prosecution of violating the terms of his plea deal.

According to the plea deal, Viehl was to expect a sentence of six months. At sentencing, the judge threw out the plea bargain, and stated his intent to as much as quadruple Viehl’s sentence to two or more years.

In the opinion, Benson restates many arguments he made at BJ’s first sentencing, in favor of a sentence far outside the sentencing guidelines. These arguments include:

*BJ was “hailed as a hero on numerous websites.” This highlights something my own experiences echo: Those in the “justice system” become indignant at public support for those those who work to right wrongs outside the law.

*Viehl and codefendant Alex Hall allegedly being stopped near other mink farms in the region, at times when no crimes had occurred.

*Spray-painted messages left at the fur farm the night of the liberation reading “ALF,” “no more mink, no more murder,” and “We are watching”, the last of which the prosecution asserted proves the mink release “….is not just a property crime, it is a threat”.

*The testimony of mink farmer Lindsey McMullin, which the judge cited in BJ’s last court date as being the prime influence in his decision to hand down a sentence of two or more years. McMullin’s testimony was described by the judge as conveying… “the impact of the crime on his family, including the emotional impact on his young children, and the financial impact on his family business.”

The judge’s contempt for animal rights activists and the A.L.F. comes through in this document. Read the full text below.

-Peter Young

William Viehl Sentencing Opinion

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