CITY CHARGES ANIMAL GROUP HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION ARE ALLEGED.Byline: Dana Bartholomew and Rick Orlov Staff Writers VAN NUYS - Controversy continued to cloud the Department of Animal Services, with the city filing criminal conspiracy charges Friday against an animal rights group accused of terrorizing municipal workers and their families. The 14-count complaint charges the Animal Defense League-Los Angeles of conspiring to harass, intimidate and terrorize ter·ror·ize tr.v. ter·ror·ized, ter·ror·iz·ing, ter·ror·iz·es 1. To fill or overpower with terror; terrify. 2. To coerce by intimidation or fear. See Synonyms at frighten. Animal Services Department employees. The ADL-LA has publicly acknowledged a lengthy intimidation campaign against the department and its employees that some credit for the firing late Thursday of General Manager Guerdon guer·don n. A reward; recompense. tr.v. guer·doned, guer·don·ing, guer·dons To reward. [Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Stuckey. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (born July 15 1960) is the current City Attorney of Los Angeles, California. Career
``By encouraging and condoning violence and terror, the Animal Defense League has made itself an outlaw organization,'' Delgadillo said. ``While the protection of animals is a worthy cause ... the Animal Defense League has openly condoned terrorist acts and tactics and fanned the commission of violence.'' Dr. Jerry Vlasak Jerry Vlasak is an American physician, animal rights activist, environmentalist, and press officer for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office. He is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a director of the Animal Defense League, a former member , an ADL-LA officer named along with his wife, Pamelyn Ferdin, in the complaint, called it ridiculous and a waste of taxpayers money. ``Many of the charges we admit to doing, they're perfectly legal in this free country of ours,'' Vlasak said. ``They include things like holding public officials responsible for their corruption and mismanagement mis·man·age tr.v. mis·man·aged, mis·man·ag·ing, mis·man·ag·es To manage badly or carelessly. mis·man  age·ment n. , lies and a cover-up of horrific animal abuse, (and) vocal picketing, which is what our country's forefathers forefathers npl → antepasados mplforefathers npl → ancêtres mpl forefathers npl → Vorfahren lived and died for.'' The 19-page complaint outlines a two-year intimidation campaign that includes posting pictures of animal control officers on its Web site - superimposed su·per·im·pose tr.v. su·per·im·posed, su·per·im·pos·ing, su·per·im·pos·es 1. To lay or place (something) on or over something else. 2. with bull's eyes or bullet holes. It also says the ADL-LA condoned the violence and destruction advocated by an underground ``domestic terrorist organization'' known as the Animal Liberation Front The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is a name used internationally by those who, through the means of direct action, oppose the use of animals as property or resources through capitalizing on the destruction and experimentation of animals. . Vlasak, the acknowledged media spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front, created a national sensation this year when he suggested on CBS's ``60 Minutes'' that any means - including murder - was justified in the defense of animals. The complaint comes a day after Villaraigosa fired Stuckey after he refused the mayor's demands to resign. Villaraigosa insisted he did not cave into the demands of animal rights activists, who were vocally opposed to Stuckey. ``I've given Mr. Stuckey five months to lead and succeed and I can tell you that in those five months, he's been unable to demonstrate that he's willing to do either,'' he said. ``That's why I've made the decision to fire Stuckey, pure and simple.'' Sources familiar with negotiations between Villaraigosa and Stuckey said Stuckey claimed he had been promised job security by aides to former Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California , who hired him. They also said Villaraigosa refused to agree to Stuckey's demands for a severance payment of more half of his annual salary of $155,034. Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com |
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