Halliday change-of-plea hearing scheduled in UT (SL Tribune)‏

Sent: July 16, 2010 3:05:25 PM

The Salt Lake Tribune
Animal-rights advocate could resolve contempt case.
By Pamela Manson
July 15, 2010 05:43PM
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49935196-76/farm-2009-halliday-mink.html.csp

An animal-rights activist charged with contempt of court for allegedly
refusing to testify about mink releases at Utah farms could be
pleading guilty in the case.

The U.S. District Court docket shows a change-of-plea hearing
scheduled on July 27 for Jordan Halliday, founder of the Animal
Defense League of Salt Lake City. Those hearings generally are set
after a defendant has struck a plea bargain with prosecutors.

Halliday was indicted last year on the felony contempt charge, which
stemmed from his appearances before a federal grand jury on March 4
and March 13 of 2009. The panel was investigating the release of
hundreds of minks at the McMullin farm in South Jordan in August 2008;
the release of minks at the Lodder farm in Kaysville in September
2008; and an attempt to damage the operations of the Mathews mink farm
in Hyrum in October 2008.

A government brief alleges that Halliday refused to take an oath at an
initial appearance on Feb. 18, 2009, and responded with “no comment”
to almost every question. At his March 4, 2009, appearance, Halliday
asserted a Fifth Amendment right against incriminating himself in
connection with innocuous questions such as where he lived, the brief
says.

And despite being granted immunity from prosecution based on his
testimony, Halliday still resisted answering questions on March 13,
2009, the government alleges.

Two men, Alex Jason Hall and William James Viehl, were charged in
connection with attacks at the McMullin and Mathews farms. They
pleaded guilty to the mink release at the McMullin farm and Hall was
sentenced earlier this year to 21 months in prison and Viehl to 24
months.

No one else has been charged in the McMullin and Matthews mink farm
attacks. The Lodder farm incident, which resulted in several hundred
thousand dollars of damage, is still under investigation.

Authorities say they also are investigating possible intimidation of
grand jurors, who were approached and photographed on Feb. 18, 2009,
as they were leaving the federal courthouse in downtown Salt Lake
City.

pmanson@sltrib.com