# Raw Milk Criminal Trial - The Comedy



## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

This really should be made into a movie, perhaps a satire from the National Lampoon or The Onion film studio units, but sadly it's real:

There is a hilarious scene in the Monty Python movie Life of Brian where a trial is taking place of a man who allegedly said the word "Jehovah." If he is convicted, he will be stoned to death. But the word "Jehovah" is so forbidden that no one can say it even at the trial. Eventually, the judge himself accidentally says "Jehovah" and is stoned to death.

The situation is similar in the Vernon Hershberger trial that opened Monday at the Sauk County courthouse in Baraboo. But instead of "Jehovah," the taboo words are "raw milk."

In fact, every time the words "raw milk" are about to come up during the proceedings, the jury is ushered out of the room. It happened Monday morning and again Tuesday afternoon.

It would be funny if conviction for Hershberger didn't mean jail time -- for a father of ten children. Laughter breaks out in the gallery anyway, to the scorn of Judge Guy Reynolds.

The state is arguing that Hershberger violated the law by selling milk (raw) while he was not licensed. But here's the problem: licensing requires that milk producers sell to a licensed processing plant. If you don't sell to a plant, you aren't licensed. At issue is not the fact that Hershberger failed to obtain a license, but that he cannot get a license, period, to sell milk because he was no longer shipping to a plant. Instead, he was attempting to sell raw milk directly to buyers or buying club "members" who had purchased shares in cows. But no one is allowed to say that.

Judge Reynolds ruled in the prosecution's favor before the trial started that there will be no discussion of whether Hershberger had criminal intent in not obtaining a license, no discussion of the safety of raw milk and no discussion even of why his farm was raided in 2010.

When the defense tried to bring evidence of a second page of the licensing forms, the prosecution objected that it was extraneous. "This gets into the conditions of...well you can see what it gets into, judge," the lead prosecutor said. Out goes the jury. . . .​
Read the rest at the link.

Thanks liberals. We all love Big Government for exactly the reasons highlighted in this article. {sarcasm} Big Government gets captured by Big Business and everyone's freedom gets raped. This man might go to jail because the voluntary commerce he was engaged in with consumers who sought out his product poses a threat to milk processors.


----------



## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

We're facing the same kind of nonsense here. Raw milk can only be sold as pet food or for cosmetic use. 
Not long ago I had a little fruit and veg shop in a local town. I was told by the council that I couldn't cut a cabbage in half to sell until I installed 3 sinks, one to wash hands, one to wash food and one to wash equipment. BUT I could take the vegetables home and cut and wrap them there and then bring them back into the shop as it was not a commercial kitchen so didn't need three sinks.


----------



## PamsPride (Dec 21, 2010)

Vernon's family are personal friends of mine.


----------



## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

PamsPride said:


> Vernon's family are personal friends of mine.


Pam could you pass on that he and his family has a mass of support here in Australia. The results of this court case will resonate throughout the world.


----------



## PamsPride (Dec 21, 2010)

Wellrounded said:


> Pam could you pass on that he and his family has a mass of support here in Australia. The results of this court case will resonate throughout the world.


I stopped in yesterday to congratulate them. They said he was found guilty of removing the tape from the freezers and the sentencing for that is still to be decided.


----------



## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

lol i couldnt help but laugh reading that.

I really feel for the poor man though and i hope that maybe common sense will prevail. However it looks like they are trying to prevent that through any means possible.

If anyone has any further news on this please post it up


----------



## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

More news:

Dairy farmer acquitted on three of four charges in raw milk trial

http://www.jsonline.com/business/raw-milk-trial-in-hands-of-jury-b9918480z1-208900911.html


----------

