Day four of the trial of animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg has wrapped, but the court has yet to seat a jury. Instead of moving forward, proceedings remain stalled in lengthy arguments over what evidence and testimony will be allowed—particularly concerning the condition of the chickens Rosenberg took from a slaughterhouse truck in Northern California.

UnchainedTV host Jane Velez-Mitchell and our expert panel bring us the very latest with live coverage at the courthouse.

The case centers on Rosenberg’s removal of four chickens from a facility operated by Petaluma Poultry, owned by Perdue Farms. She says she acted out of necessity, claiming the birds were visibly sick and suffering. The defense maintains that veterinarians who later examined the animals—named Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea—they were infected with parasites, covered in bruises, and needed urgent medical attention. Rosenberg calls it a rescue. Prosecutors call it a crime.

Rosenberg is facing several charges, including a felony conspiracy charge and 3 misdemeanors, including trespassing and tampering with a vehicle. While no theft charges remain, if convicted on all current counts, Rosenberg could face close to five years in jail.

Supporters see this trial as a high-stakes confrontation over the ethics of the food system, and the case is already drawing national and international attention. UnchainedTV has committed to full, gavel-to-gavel coverage—not only to report on Rosenberg’s fate, but to spotlight the broader conversation about how animals are treated in agriculture.

It’s a moment that forces the public to look more closely at the billions of animals used in food production. Chickens, in particular, are the most exploited. According to data from Our World in Data, more than 74 billion chickens are slaughtered globally each year. That breaks down to approximately 202 million chickens killed every single day—or about 140,000 chickens slaughtered every minute.

These numbers are staggering. Critics argue that their suffering is normalized, hidden behind sanitized labels and industrial secrecy. The courtroom debates over whether jurors can hear about the birds’ conditions—and see video evidence—reflect the legal system’s struggle to acknowledge that suffering.

The companies involved in this case strongly deny Rosenberg’s claims and maintain that their operations meet high animal welfare standards. They are welcome to respond and appear on UnchainedTV at any time. But the defense has fought for the right to challenge those claims in court by introducing expert analysis, videos and veterinary reports. The prosecution, on the other hand, is working to limit the scope of that evidence. Court observers say that it appears that the only video the jury will see is of the 4 chickens as Rosenberg was rescuing them.

So far, the court has moved at a glacial pace. As motions continue to pile up, the larger stakes remain clear. This trial is not only about Rosenberg’s actions—it’s about whether intervening to help a suffering animal should be criminalized. It’s also about whether our justice system can grapple with the reality of how animals are treated in industrial agriculture.

Beyond ethics, the trial touches on urgent environmental and public health concerns. Industrial animal farming, in general, is a leading contributor to climate change, deforestation, water pollution, and the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What happens to chickens—and how society chooses to respond to people who speak out about it—isn’t a niche concern. It’s central to some of the most pressing global issues of our time.

UnchainedTV will continue covering every twist and turn of this trial. Whether Rosenberg is convicted or acquitted, the case opens a rare public window into the hidden world of animal agriculture—and the growing movement of people willing to risk everything to expose it.