How to Defend Against Cock Fighting Charges

The practice of cock fighting conflicts with most local and federal laws designed to protect animals from abuse and neglect. If you've been picked up on cock fighting charges, chances are you'll soon be facing a trial. As with any criminal defense, there are several steps you can take to defend yourself against cock fighting charges.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Lawyer

1. Contact a lawyer. A court-appointed lawyer will be assigned to your case in the event that you can't afford a lawyer of your own. No matter how successfully you craft your defense against cock fighting charges, you'll still want the assistance of an experienced professional.
2. Explore the history of the sport. While cock fighting might be stigmatized today, the sport actually has a proud history in this country. Many of our founding fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, enjoyed participating in the sport. Cock fights were even popular at William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
3. Defend yourself by drawing parallels between cock fighting and other competitive sports involving animals. Bull fighting is largely considered a noble, esteemed sport. Also, hunters are allowed to slaughter deer, bears and other forest creatures for fun.
4. Point out the irony of how animals are treated in commercial industries. While citizen groups mount angry protests over the relatively infrequent practice of cock fighting, millions and millions of chickens are bred and slaughtered every day for human consumption. Some people think the treatment of these chickens is far worse than anything experienced at the average cock fighting tournament.
5. Make it clear that cock fights don't necessarily end in death. Many chickens only suffer wounds during the fights. Often, fights are called when neither chicken is able or willing to continue the fight.
6. Show how chickens are cared for outside of the rings. Competitive chicken breeders often take as much care with their animals as horse or dog breeders. Meanwhile, chickens raised for human consumption have their beaks and claws extracted, so they can be contained in cramped, overpopulated cages in which they defecate on themselves.
7. Stay in touch with other cock fighters through online organizations, such as Friend In Sport (see Resources below). These networks might be good sources of information on how to defend against cock fighting charges.

Tips & Warnings

• Win the debate over semantics. Politicians frequently use this tactic to frame a debate in a favorable light. Instead of the amenable term "estate tax," politicians use the more frightening "death tax" to subtly shape the way the debate is discussed. Call cock fighting a "competitive sport" to create a more acceptable public image.
• Protect yourself from the threat of prosecution by moving somewhere with no laws against cock fighting. Presently, Louisiana and Puerto Rico have no laws against the practice. Federal laws prohibit the transportation of chickens across state lines for the purpose of cock fighting, however, so you'll have to make sure that your chicken-breeding grounds are within state lines too.
• Chicken breeders and fight organizers aren't the only ones who face criminal prosecution over cock fights. Spectators can be arrested and charged for their participation too.