After nearly a month of testimony and arguments, a Sonoma County jury on Wednesday found Berkeley animal activist Zoe Rosenberg guilty of conspiracy and misdemeanor charges stemming from her role in a 2023 incursion at Petaluma Poultry — a case that became a flashpoint in the North Bay’s long-running clash between animal rights advocates and the agricultural industry.
Jurors reached their verdict after about three and a half hours of deliberation, convicting Rosenberg, 23, on all counts. She stood quietly as the verdict was read. Beside her stood her attorney, Chris Carraway, who placed his hand on her back for comfort.
About 20 members of Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, the Bay Area-based animal rights group Rosenberg is part of, were in attendance. They were silent, though at least two appeared to wipe away tears.
Outside the courthouse, DxE members waited and approached at least one juror for comment. Two jurors were escorted out of the building by security — a service typically provided following trials.
She faces up to 4 1/2 years in jail when she returns for sentencing Dec. 3, though probation is possible. She remains free on bail while awaiting sentencing but must wear an ankle monitor, stay away from six animal activists identified by the court, and remain at least 500 yards from any bird, duck, meat, dairy or egg farm. Judge Kenneth Gnoss said he imposed the restrictions because of concerns over Rosenberg’s prior acts of civil disobedience.
Defense attorney Chris Carraway told The Press Democrat after court he was disappointed by the verdict and by the limits placed on what evidence jurors were allowed to see, including USDA data on salmonella rates and photos of documents found inside Petaluma Poultry.
“Even if the verdict was good, it would still be disappointing, because still no one is lifting a single finger to look at the allegations of criminal animal cruelty at Petaluma Poultry,” Carraway said. “Unfortunately, at the end of the day, there was more concern about talking about protests Zoe did when she was 14 years old than actually the much worse crimes that are happening day in, day out at Petaluma Poultry.”
He said the post-verdict release conditions mirrored those set before trial but called the prosecution’s request to take Rosenberg into custody “disgusting,” citing her medical condition and the nonviolent nature of the charges.
He said they plan to appeal the jury’s decision.
The outcome marks a major victory for prosecutors and a setback for DxE, known for high-profile demonstrations and “open rescues” in which members remove livestock from farms they accuse of cruelty. The group has drawn national attention — and frequent backlash — for its confrontational tactics.
“This verdict affirms that no one is above the law,” District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said in a statement to The Press Democrat. “While we respect everyone’s right to free expression, it is unlawful to trespass, disrupt legitimate businesses, and endanger workers and animals in pursuit of a political or social agenda.”
The case against her
Rosenberg was charged with one felony conspiracy count and three misdemeanors connected to two early-morning trespasses at Petaluma Poultry in spring 2023. Prosecutors alleged she and fellow activists entered company property, searched files and attached GPS trackers to vehicles before taking four chickens from a trailer June 13, 2023, as supporters rallied nearby.
Rosenberg admitted removing the birds — later named Poppy, Ivy, Aster and Azalea — but insisted the act was a “rescue,” not theft. Her attorneys argued she acted out of moral duty to save animals she believed were suffering, citing video evidence DxE later shared online.
Prosecutors countered that the operation was planned, deliberate and designed for publicity. Deputy District Attorney Matthew Hobson told jurors Rosenberg’s actions were a stunt, pointing to social media footage and DxE promotional videos.
Surveillance footage, investigator statements and timing linked to Rosenberg’s birthday and DxE’s annual Animal Liberation Conference formed the backbone of the prosecution’s argument that the incursion was deliberate.
Judge Gnoss barred Rosenberg’s legal team from using a “necessity defense,” which would have allowed them to argue she acted to prevent greater harm. Without that tool, defense attorney Carraway instead sought to cast Rosenberg as a passionate advocate driven by conscience, not criminal intent.
The trial
During testimony, Rosenberg detailed her background as an animal rights activist and founder of a sanctuary in San Luis Obispo, describing how her childhood experience raising chickens shaped her beliefs. She attends UC Berkeley but paused her studies during the trial.
Court proceedings stretched through most of October, occasionally delayed by evidentiary disputes, limited afternoon sessions and Rosenberg’s health challenges. Prosecutors began questioning her on a Friday and continued into Monday before proceedings ended early Oct. 21, when she became ill. She missed court the following day.
According to her social media posts, Rosenberg has gastroparesis — a paralyzed stomach that prevents food from moving normally. She receives nutrients through a feeding tube that delivers sustenance directly to her intestine. Rosenberg said she was hospitalized last month before pretrial motions began. Little was said of her condition during the trial.
The prosecution rested after four days, while the defense’s case took twice as long. At least two DxE members who had been called as potential witnesses invoked their Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.
Among the defense witnesses was Carla Cabral, who testified that Rosenberg had given her the rescued chickens and that they appeared in poor health. On cross-examination, Cabral acknowledged she was also a DxE member and vegan advocate.
Rosenberg’s co-defendant, Raven Deerbrook, reached a plea deal earlier this year and testified that she initially investigated Petaluma Poultry on her own before Rosenberg joined her in May 2023.
Prosecutors also referenced Rosenberg’s past activism — including a 2022 incident where she chained herself to a basketball hoop during an NBA game — as evidence of a pattern of disruptive tactics intended to attract media attention.
In his closing arguments Tuesday, Hobson said the defense offered little evidence to support Rosenberg’s claim that the four chickens were in poor condition. He argued Rosenberg had relied largely on information from individuals who shared her views and goals, noting she received legal guidance from Bonnie Klapper, a former federal prosecutor who has served as legal counsel for DxE.
Several jurors described their decision Wednesday as straightforward.
“It was pretty cut and dry,” said one juror, who declined to give his name. “We read through and discussed (the charges) and we all seemed to be in agreement with the verdict.”
Another juror, who identified himself as Juror 6692, called it “an easy decision.” He said the panel voted on each count and the results were unanimous.
“Everyone was the same,” he said.
The larger context
DxE members have faced similar criminal cases across the country, with mixed results. In October 2022, two activists were acquitted of burglary and theft after removing two piglets from a Utah pork producer’s farm. That was followed in March 2023 in Merced County, where two members were found not guilty of misdemeanor theft after taking two chickens from a Foster Farms facility.
Rosenberg’s arrest in November 2023 came after DxE co-founder Wayne Hsiung was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years’ probation in a similar Sonoma County case. Since then, the group’s presence has expanded, staging demonstrations outside Trader Joe’s, blocking delivery trucks, and backing a 2024 ballot measure to restrict large-scale poultry and livestock operations — a proposal voters overwhelmingly rejected.
The group even sponsored a billboard along Highway 101 in Petaluma, asking whether Rosenberg should go to prison for “rescuing” a chicken. Prosecutors unsuccessfully tried to have it removed, arguing it could influence jurors.
During the trial, dueling press releases from DxE and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau reflected the polarized atmosphere surrounding the case.
What’s next
Rosenberg’s conviction marks a significant blow for Direct Action Everywhere, which has long described its actions as moral interventions in the face of systemic animal cruelty. Prosecutors said the verdict reaffirmed that activists cannot take the law into their own hands.
Leaders in Sonoma County’s agricultural community praised the outcome. Herb Frerichs, general counsel for Petaluma Poultry, said it showed that “personal beliefs don’t justify breaking the law,” while Dayna Ghirardelli, executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, said the decision underscored public rejection of DxE’s tactics and support for local farmers.
District Attorney Rodriguez said her office will continue to prosecute activists who blur the line between protest and crime, arguing that some groups “have attempted to use the criminal justice system as a platform to gain attention and further their movement.”
Carraway, Rosenberg’s attorney, later called the prosecution a misuse of resources. He said the county “spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to protect a multi-billion-dollar corporation from the rescue of four chickens worth less than $25.”
After the verdict, Rosenberg said she had no regrets.
“I will not apologize for taking sick, neglected animals to get medical care,” she said. “Because I did, Poppy, Ivy, Aster and Azalea are alive today. For that, I will never be sorry.”
Outside the courthouse, Rosenberg addressed a crowd of more than 20 supporters shortly after the probation department reinstalled a GPS monitor on her left ankle. She had previously worn one for 20 months during the case.
She said she had hoped jurors would be swayed by the stories of the rescued chickens and push for her acquittal.
“I think about all of the chickens who are suffering every moment of their lives — and who advocates for them?” she said, stifling tears.
Staff Writer Madison Smalstig contributed reporting.
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