Abbotsford/Vancouver (with files from Black Press/Meat the VIctims) – June 24 UPDATE – Black Press reports that the BC Court of Appeal overturned the jail sentence handed to two animal-rights activists who were involved in the 2019 Excelsior hog farm protest in Abbotsford.
Instead of 30 days each in jail, Amy Soranno and Nick Schafer of Kelowna have now received a 120-day conditional sentence followed by one year of probation.
The three-judge panel agreed that although the sentencing judge did not err in sentencing the two to jail time in October 2022, “incarceration is not necessary to meet the relevant sentencing goals in this case.”
MAY 31 UPDATE – Black Press reports that the BC Court of Appeal reserved their decision for a later date.
Soranno and Schaffer have also filed an application with the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal the BC Court of Appeal decision to uphold their convictions.
More to come.
MAY 27 ORIGINAL STORY – On Friday May 31,Nick Schafer and Amy Soranno will be appealing their sentence, seeking conditional discharges instead of jail time, following their convictions for exposing animal cruelty at Excelsior Hog Farm. Facebook appeal page is here.
BACKGROUND – In May 2023, the two people who participated in a 2019 protest at the Excelsior hog farm in Abbotsford, filed an application to appeal their break-and-enter convictions.
Amy Soranno and Nick Schafer of Kelowna were each sentenced in October 2022 to 30 days in jail and one year of probation. They were granted bail pending the appeal.
Cameras had been placed by members of the Meat the Victims group, to which Soranno and Schafer belonged.
A third person , Geoff Regier had his charges dropped prior to the trial. The fourth, Roy Sasano was acquitted at trial.
Soranno and Schafer were each convicted and sentenced on a charge of break-and-enter. They also each had a mischief charge, which was stayed at sentencing.
On January 12 2024, in an unanimous decision, The BC Court of Appeal upheld the break-and-enter convictions of two animal-rights activists who participated in a 2019 protest at an Abbotsford hog farm.
