Animal Activist Zoe Rosenberg Sentenced Today In Petaluma Poultry Case

PETALUMA, CA — The animal rights activist convicted in October of trespassing to rescue chickens from a Petaluma Poultry facility was sentenced today.

A judge sentenced Zoe Rosenberg to 90 days, including 30 days in the Sonoma County jail.

Judge Kenneth Gnoss required Rosenberg to serve supervised probation for two years and to comply with other requirements.

Rosenberg will serve 30 days at the Main Adult Detention Facility beginning Dec. 10. She will serve the remainder of her sentence outside of jail once she becomes eligible for alternatives.

Rosenberg suffers from Type 1 diabetes and gastroparesis (a chronic condition causing abdominal pain and digestion difficulties) for which Rosenberg uses an insulin pump and feeding tube.

Her parents told Gnoss that a jail sentence could be life-threatening for the 23-year-old whose diabetes is especially challenging to manage.

Sonoma County District Attorney Matt Hobson said the Main Adult Detention Facility has experience with the care of inmates with diabetes, including 40 diagnosed with Type 1.

He said he based his decision on Rosenberg's lack of remorse. "Not once did I hear you say sorry," he said.

A jury convicted Rosenberg after a six-week trial for the June 2023 incident in which she took four chickens from a Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse that supplies chickens to Perdue Farms.

She faced a 4-1/2-year sentence for one felony conspiracy charge and three misdemeanor trespass charges.

In addition to probation and the jail sentence. Gnoss ordered her to pay $102,548 in restitution to Petaluma Perdue and another $300 fine.
He also ordered her to stay at least 100 yards from Petaluma Poultry and Perdue facilities in Sonoma County.

Authorities will monitor her communications on digital devices except for conversations and messages with her attorney and doctors. Gnoss also ordered her to stay away from a handful of activists, including those from the Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, organization she is affiliated with.

Sonoma County District Attorney's Office sought a 180-day sentence for Rosenberg. Prosecutors cited what they described as Rosenberg's "staggering" lack of remorse and the ineffectiveness of alternatives such as house arrest or work release.

Prosecutors had urged the judge to take her into custody immediately following her conviction in October of one felony conspiracy charge and three misdemeanor trespass charges.

Gnoss said during the sentencing that Rosenberg was not charged with, or convicted of, stealing chickens from Petaluma Poultry.

Rosenberg will continue to wear a GPS tracking device on her ankle.

Her lawyer, Chris Carraway, a staff attorney at the Animal Activist Defense Project, said he was disappointed that Rosenberg will spend 30 days in jail for an act of conscience and that the district attorney continued to prioritize corporations and profits.

Asked about the outcome of the trial, Hobson said his office sought accountability, meaning deterrence.

Rosenberg, an activist affiliated with Direct Action Everywhere, did not deny entering the Petaluma Poultry facility. She was filmed doing so. However, Rosenberg and supporters argue that she was rightfully investigating documented cases of unlawful animal cruelty and that she rescued the chickens.

During the sentencing Rosenberg said she was, "filled with remorse for every animal I have failed to save. To the little baby chick who is currently writhing in pain on the floor of a Perdue factory farm, the young rooster being violently slammed into a Perdue transport crate, and the terrified hen about to enter Perdue's scalding tank while fully conscious, I am sorry.”

A Petaluma Poultry lawyer, Regan Masi, asked Gnoss to require Rosenberg to wear a tracking device. He said he was speaking on behalf of Petaluma Poultry workers and their families, who had been dragged into the fallout of Rosenberg's actions and, more broadly, DxE's activism.

After being sentenced, Rosenberg spoke outside the courthouse, asking supporters to promise to continue fighting for animal rights.

READ MORE:

Prosecutors Seek Six Months Behind Bars For Activist Zoe Rosenberg In Petaluma Poultry Case

Joaquin Phoenix Challenges Sonoma County DA Over Pursuit Of Animal Activist

Vigil To Protest Petaluma Poultry Conditions Saturday

Animal Activist Zoe Rosenberg Convicted In Perdue Slaughterhouse Chicken Rescue

Opening Statements Begin Monday In The High-Profile Trial Of Animal Activist Involving Perdue Farms

Trial of Animal Activist, Zoe Rosenberg, Begins Monday In Sonoma County