A jury has finally been selected - 12 jurors plus 4 alternates. Opening statements are expected Monday!

Who knows how many thousands or even - possibly - millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent to prosecute this 23-year old woman for rescuing 4 chickens - with a store value of about $24 - from a truck in a slaughterhouse.

But, if they were sick, as the defendant maintains they were, the defense argues they would have zero monetary value. Is that why prosecutors dropped the theft charge, leaving Rosenberg facing felony conspiracy and misdemeanor trespass and vehicle tampering? Or, is it because the theft charge would open the door to testimony and evidence about the condition of chickens inside the facility?

The trial, happening 55 miles north of San Francisco, in heavily agricultural Sonoma County, has become a litmus test for public sentiment on industrialized animal agriculture and a tug of war over the rights of companies producing vast numbers of animals for food versus the rights of rescuers to save animals from pain and suffering.

Defendant Rosenberg -along with running a sanctuary for rescued farmed animals - is an animal cruelty investigator for Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), a grassroots organization fighting for the “Right to Rescue” and pushing for an “Animal Bill of Rights.”

The company in question denies all animal cruelty charges, asserting they have high animal welfare standards and calling DxE an extremist group with a radical agenda.

Now, let’s get the latest from the courthouse LIVE as UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez-Mitchell and her expert panel analyzes this historic trial.