According to the Hendersonville Times-News, Wayne Hsiung an attorney and co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere was found guilty in a Transylvania, NC. County Court of both felony-larceny and breaking and entering.  The conviction follows “rescue” of an immature goat from the Sospiro Ranch in 2018. It is alleged that the goat was healthy but developed pneumonia after being removed from the farm due to mismanagement by Direct Action Everywhere.

 The Court placed a restraint on Hsiung from using the case as a forum for disseminating animal rights propaganda during proceedings.  Hsiung was sentenced to 24-months probation and ordered to pay restitution to the owners of the ranch.

The sentence suggests that Hsiung, who represented himself, is an ineffective lawyer, following the adage “anyone who defends himself has a fool for a client”.  Hsiung claimed that charges should be dismissed on the grounds that animals are ‘people’ and not property.  This contention was rejected by Judge Peter Knight. If the presumption of animals having legal humanhood were to be accepted, Hsiung would have been guilty of kidnapping. Given that a young goat was involved the District Attorney missed a great opportunity for a more serious charge. Andrew Murray the DA stated, “This was an attorney activist that came here out of California to violate our laws and flaunted our laws and stole a goat from a farmer.”

The guilty verdict and proceedings confirmed that activists commit a felony when illegally entering a farm to remove livestock. Their purpose is mainly to create publicity for their cause and their actions are irrelevant to any concern for the animals that they claim to protect.