INTRO: Week 2, Day 6 – Zoe Rosenberg Chicken Rescue Trial

As the Zoe Rosenberg chicken rescue trial enters Day 6, the court of public opinion is heating up alongside courtroom proceedings. Over the weekend, local marches swept through Sonoma County in a show of support for Rosenberg, whose case has become a flashpoint in the national conversation around animal rights and the factory farming of animals. Meanwhile, glossy brochures urging residents to "stand with Sonoma County’s Poultry Workers" were mailed to households across the region. Widely believed to be funded by interests aligned with Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry, the materials frame animal rights activists as “extremists” threatening rural livelihoods. Activists contend the brochures contain misleading stock imagery from other countries, far removed from the conditions at issue in this case.

Inside the courtroom, Day 5 revealed the mounting complexity and tension surrounding this case. Rosenberg, 23, is charged with one felony conspiracy count and three misdemeanors stemming from her rescue of four chickens from a slaughter truck in 2023. Initially facing up to 20 years behind bars, Rosenberg now confronts a potential five-year sentence—still a weighty penalty for what supporters describe as an act of conscience. At the center of the defense’s argument is the condition of the chickens and Rosenberg’s intent.

Jury selection continues to be a major hurdle. Judge Kenneth Gnoss informed prospective jurors that the trial could last 6 weeks, leading to widespread claims of hardship. Observers fear that this attrition may lead to a less diverse, less representative jury—an especially pressing concern in a trial so steeped in questions of ethics, class, and corporate influence.

Key testimony on Day 5 came during a 402 hearing for Carla Cabral, a former veterinary technician and the primary caretaker of the four chickens—Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea—after the rescue. While Cabral has been cleared to testify as a fact witness, the defense is pushing for her to be recognized as an expert witness as well. Her testimony could help establish the conditions and suffering of the chickens. The state sought to undermine her qualifications by focusing on her affiliation with DxE, but Judge Gnoss largely curtailed those efforts, signaling a more focused evidentiary approach. Today, Carla Cabral and Raven Deerbrook, both animal rescuers, are expected to take the stand in these hearings, meaning the final selection and seating of a jury and opening statements are still far off.

The judge also ruled that the defense cannot introduce any of DxE’s animal cruelty investigations conducted prior to May and June 2023. This excludes seven years of undercover footage and reports that activists claim demonstrate a pattern of abuse at Petaluma Poultry and its suppliers. The jury will not see this evidence, nor will they see DxE’s broader documentation—only limited video from the specific incident and Rosenberg’s testimony about one chicken, Rose, will be permitted.

Throughout the day’s coverage, panelists raised deep concerns about fairness and transparency. Legal analyst Justine Block questioned how jurors can render an informed verdict without seeing the full picture. Others pointed to historical parallels—when truth was hidden, sanitized, or rebranded for public comfort. As Day 6 begins, the central question lingers: will rescuing animals from alleged cruelty be treated as a compassionate act—or as a crime?

In response to public scrutiny, Perdue Farms denies all allegations of animal cruelty, asserting a commitment to high standards of animal care. They dismiss the claims by Direct Action Everywhere (DXE)—the group backing Rosenberg—as false and characterize the organization as an extremist movement with a radical agenda to eliminate animal agriculture. They are invited on at any time to respond further.

Now, UnchainedTV’s expert panel and host Jane Velez-Mitchell discuss the case, with reporter Johnny Mora live from the courthouse.