On May 20, the Court of Appeals in Utah ruled against us in our effort to reverse a trial court order forbidding us from introducing evidence of animal cruelty in a criminal trial involving an open rescue at the largest pig farm in the nation. The decision, though not unexpected, was still a tough one. There is no factual dispute as to what happened; our defense rests on not what we did, but what was on our minds. The most important evidence as to our motive and intent will not be heard in court. If we are convicted, as a result of this improper and unconstitutional ruling, we could face more than 10 years in prison.

It might surprise you, therefore, to hear that I am incredibly optimistic about this trial, which will begin on Sept 9 in Utah. I invited two of my co-defendants in the case, Paul Picklesimer and Jonathan Frohnmayer, on the podcast to break down why – and detail how two prior efforts by the industry to cover-up misconduct have backfired spectacularly.

Music by Moby: Everything That Rises