Second Defense Witness, Who Admitted to Breaking into Petaluma Poultry on Numerous Occasions, Emailing Confidential Records and Placing Hidden Cameras & GPS Trackers, Testifies in Sonoma County Trial

Zoe Rosenberg faces felony conspiracy charge in Sonoma County Superior Court case

Petaluma, Calif. — The second week of the jury trial of Zoe Rosenberg, a Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) operative, continued in Sonoma County Superior Court today with testimony from Raven Deerbrook, a DxE member for half a decade involved in five break-ins at Petaluma Poultry, culminating in a June 2023 incident that involved the theft of chickens by Defendant Zoe Rosenberg, who could take the witness stand as soon as tomorrow.

Deerbrook, who was the photographer and videographer behind the lens documenting DxE members’ illegal incursions, claimed to be an ‘animal welfare investigator’ – a title that appears similarly distorted and follows a trend with the defense’s first witness, another DxE activist, who provided another exaggerated title lacking the credentials to support it.

“The defense testimony today continues to establish a pattern of DxE members who are disillusioned with reality, and distort facts to justify illegal actions – repeatedly,” said Jennifer Beretta, a spokesperson for the Sonoma County Family Farmers Alliance who is also part of a multi-generational organic farming family. “The biases and extreme actions of the defendant and her defense witnesses pose the question: is the defense testimony credible and can it even be trusted in this case?”

“Several statements made by a witness for Zoe Rosenberg's defense today intentionally ignore the humane practices and strict regulatory guidelines we follow at Petaluma Poultry,” added Herb Frerichs, General Counsel for Petaluma Poultry. “Our facility is under constant on-site oversight by the USDA and all steps are manually checked by human operators to ensure a low-stress, safe environment for our birds and associates. These extreme activists are against all forms of agriculture that result in eating meat, so it's not a surprise that they object to poultry farming and that they would discredit Petaluma Poultry and our industry-leading animal care practices in an attempt to excuse their criminal behavior.”

Poultry is part of DxE’s ongoing intimidation campaign to eliminate animal agriculture in Sonoma County. The defendant’s reckless actions include:

• Breaking into chicken houses under cover of darkness to steal livestock, recklessly jeopardizing biosecurity and animal health.

• Accessing company data and privileged information through private computer systems.

• Harassing associates and their families at private residences.

• Disrupting businesses and restaurants across Northern California.

Petaluma Poultry is a recognized leader in free-range and organic poultry, with farms and facilities subject to rigorous audits and government oversight. The company remains united with its associates and neighbors against these illegal tactics and will continue to defend the region’s food supply, the importance of local agriculture, and the future of responsible animal farming.

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Media Contact: rob@muelrathpublicaffairs.com