Can whales sue for their legal rights in our courts? Maybe. The animal rights group PETA filed their official complaint against SeaWorld Inc. on Oct. 6, 2011, for allegedly violating the 13th Amendment rights of killer whales, or orcas.
Monday, a federal judge heard the case. The judge did not dismiss the case — instead, he took it under submission. It is not yet known when he will send PETA his decision.
Though SeaWorld has filed a motion to have case dismissed, the hearing Monday addressed the issue of whether or not the orcas even had standing to be heard.
Still, the fact that the case even made it into a courtroom was a victory for PETA, according to the attorney who represents PETA, Jeff Kerr.
“This is the first time a court has ever considered whether the 13th Amendment applies to the [orcas],” Kerr said outside the courtroom Monday.
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Beware! You could be Simon Legree for bossing your cat around.
For more Firenze Sage, go to: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109312
Publisher comment: [For those who wonder, Simon Legree is the slave master in the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin]
