Expert support for Colorado elephant rights case |
Dear John,
In May, I wrote to let you know we’d filed a brief in the Colorado Supreme Court, urging it to reverse a District Court ruling that denied our elephant clients Jambo, Kimba, LouLou, Lucky, and Missy a hearing on the lawfulness of their imprisonment in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZ) simply because they’re not human. Elephant cognition and behavior experts are already supporting this case with scientific affidavits. Now, our legal fight for the elephants’ freedom has gained the support of experts on law, philosophy, social justice, and more in the form of amicus briefs.
In this new blog post, I explain what amicus briefs are, who’s submitted briefs, what the briefs argue, and why they’re important: |
Ultimately, our lawsuit (a habeas corpus petition) demands recognition of the elephants’ fundamental right to liberty and their release to an elephant sanctuary—as is consistent with Colorado common law and judges’ most cherished principles of justice. Our lawsuit marks the first time Colorado’s highest court will be in a position to rule on arguments concerning a nonhuman animal’s right to liberty. |
