Activists found guilty of harassing hunters

NorthJersey.com ^ | 09.01.06 | RICHARD COWEN

[Coleus]

VERNON -- Four animal rights activists involved in a confrontation with hunters at Wawayanda State Park during last year's bear hunt were found guilty Thursday of harassment.

The most prominent, Angela Metler of Vernon, drew a 40-day jail term.

Municipal Court Judge C. William Bowkley Jr. found that the 49-year-old Metler, Terry Fritzges, 57, of East Windsor, Janet Pizsar, 53, of Milburn, and Albert Kazemian, 49, also of Vernon, were determined to disrupt the state-sanctioned bear hunt when they entered the park on the morning of Dec. 7.

Besides sentencing Metler to jail time, Bowkley handed her and the others stiff fines.

"I am not going to lecture, because I don't believe in that," Bowkley said of Metler. "But it is clear that she doesn't get the point. She is allowed to express her political viewpoints. She can protest and she can write letters. She can contact her congressmen. But she can't break the law."

For the time being, Metler walked out of Vernon Municipal Court a free woman after the judge agreed with a request by her attorney, Gina Calogero, to stay the sentences pending an appeal in state court. All four offenders belong to the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, which opposes the killing of all animals. Metler was convicted in 2004 in Vernon of jumping into a bear trap the state had set up in town. She was found guilty of obstructing a government function and fined $750.

Bowkley imposed fines totaling $1,350 plus court costs, and ordered Metler to spend 40 days in the county jail after finding her guilty of obstruction, harassment and disorderly conduct. Kazemian was fined $2,100 for obstruction, harassment, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Fritzges and Pizsar were found guilty of obstruction and disorderly conduct and fined $600 each.

Municipal Prosecutor Robert D. Correale had asked for jail time for Metler and Kazemian as a deterrent to others given that another bear hunt is set for December.

"This is an organization that apparently has an agenda; and that is to violate the law in order to further its political goals," Correale said. "I fear that we're going to be back here [in court] after another bear hunt. Enough is enough."

Metler said she wasn't surprised at the sentence.

"This is a climate where people are punished for their political beliefs," she said, calling the Alliance "non-violent and peaceful."

The defendants had maintained they had gone into the woods only to videotape the shooting of a bear as footage for an anti-hunting campaign. But they encountered two hunters accompanied by an undercover park ranger, Walter Sanford.

As a videotape rolled, angry words were exchanged. Metler can be heard saying that hunters, not bears, should be shot.

Sanford made the arrests.

Bowkley acknowledged that both sides traded angry words and dismissed one charge of harassment against Kazemian, an Iranian immigrant who was accused of threatening to bring his "Arab friends" to get the hunting party. But the judge wouldn't buy the defendants' filming alibi.

"The defendants were in the woods for one purpose, and that was to frustrate the hunters," Bowkley said.

[Coleus]

September 10, 2006
Of wandering bears, persistent activi
Stiff penalties for stubborn opponents of bear hunt.

September 1, 2006
Activists guilty of harassing hunters
VERNON -- Four animal rights activists involved in a confrontation with hunters at Wawayanda State Park during last year's bear hunt were found guilty Thursday of harassment.

July 28, 2006
Protesters, hunters clash in court
VERNON -- A quartet of anti-bear-hunt activists surrounded two hunters, intimidated them and prevented them from slaying bears during a state-mandated bear hunt, the hunters and a parks officer testified on Thursday.

June 28, 2006
Bear hunt protesters claiming STING
A judge will decide if four animal rights activists who confronted hunters in Wawayanda State Park during last fall's bear hunt are guilty of interfering with a government function -- or were victims of an illegal sting by park police.

April 26, 2006
Bear hunt protesters convicted
VERNON -- Six animal rights activists were convicted Tuesday of civil disobedience for jumping a police barricade during a demonstration at Wawayanda State Park on Dec. 10, the final day of the black bear hunt.

March 29, 2006
Verdict delayed in trial of hunt prot
VERNON -- A verdict in the trial of four bear-hunt protesters accused of jumping a police barricade at a demonstration in Wawayanda State Park has been rescheduled for April 11.

February 15, 2006
Bear-hunt protesters go on trial
Six animal rights advocates, arrested in December during a protest at Wawayanda State Park on the final day of the 2005 black bear hunt, went on trial Tuesday in Vernon Municipal Court.

[SmithL]

Sentence them to a forty-day term in a bear suit, during hunting season.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

"This is a climate where people are punished for their political beliefs,"

Oh, horseflop.

By law, hunting is legal. By law, hunter harassment is illegal.

There is nothing political about it.

[BipolarBob]

This is a climate where people are punished for their political beliefs," she said, calling the Alliance "non-violent and peaceful."

How terrible!! Those poor people. They deserve better. A more understanding place like Cuba or Venzuala would be more suited to people of such refinement.

[Commander8]

*Virtual High Five*

[MaDeuce]

"an Iranian immigrant who was accused of threatening to bring his "Arab friends" to get the hunting party"

An Arab animal makes that statement to people with guns!
He should have been shot on the spot!

[Dutch Boy]

If anti-hunting activists were in Florida and aggressively went after a hunter, can he shoot him under their new law?

[gonzo]

We can shoot them just for being a$$holes!.............FRegards

[Dutch Boy]

Crap... I live in NY. There isn't even a season.....

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this outdoors list, largely rural midwestern issues, please FR mail me. And ping me is you see articles of interest.

[cripplecreek]

"This is a climate where people are punished for their political beliefs,"

That standard could just as easily be used by the hunters. The hunters are being harassed for their political belief in the right to hunt.

[tet68]

Hmmmmm, Harrass a woman and see how many days you get in jail...

[SJackson]

Hmmmmm, Harrass a woman and see how many days you get in jail...

Depend's on the nature of the harassment. If you simply require her to wear a tent all day and don't allow her to drive, don't let her go to school, the feminists won't raise a peep.

[SJackson]

Also, 40 days and fines, how significant to her I don't know, are reasonable. But I like the judge's attitude.

I am not going to lecture, because I don't believe in that, but it is clear that she doesn't get the point. She is allowed to express her political viewpoints. She can protest and she can write letters. She can contact her congressmen. But she can't break the law

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this outdoors list, largely rural midwestern issues, please FR mail me. And ping me is you see articles of interest.

I'm sorry for the second ping, but I failed to highlight the quote. That's a great idea.

Kazemian, an Iranian immigrant who was accused of threatening to bring his "Arab friends" to get the hunting party

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

This off topic ping isn't completely off topic. I love the "protesters" quote.

Kazemian, an Iranian immigrant who was accused of threatening to bring his "Arab friends" to get the hunting party

[Still Thinking]

Metler was convicted in 2004 in Vernon of jumping into a bear trap the state had set up in town.

It occurred to some legislator in advance to pass a law against jumping into a bear trap??

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It occurred to some legislator in advance to pass a law against jumping into a bear trap??

It probably is against the law to interfere with a legally set trap.

[LexBaird]

Metler was convicted in 2004 in Vernon of jumping into a bear trap the state had set up in town.

They should have made her chew her own leg off to get out.