AETA’s First Legal Challenge

We knew that the government would eventually invoke the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) and now it has.  Earlier this year, authorities arrested 4 activists for alleged threats and vandalism against research facilities at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley and charged them under AETA.  The defendants (known as the AETA 4) argue that the law should be struck down as unconstitutional and the judge is at least listening.  We will be watching this one closely.  AETA is an abomination (as I have argued here) but a good result in this case would be nothing short of astounding.

–David Cassuto