News
First conviction under Wisconsin’s premises registration law
A Polk County, Wisconsin farmer has become the first in the state to be convicted of violating Wisconsin’s premises registration law. Patrick Monchilovich of Cumberland was first informed by telephone in April of 2008 that he needed to register the premises on which he kept cattle. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture says he declined.
An animal health inspector visited him later that month, and he still refused to register. In May 2008, he refused delivery of a certified warning letter, which was then hand-delivered to him during a final visit by the inspector and a compliance officer in June 2008.
Charges were filed in Polk County Circuit Court by District Attorney Daniel Steffen on February 26, and Monchilovich pleaded not guilty on March 17. The case came to trial on October 21, when he was found guilty by Judge Molly GaleWyrick and ordered to pay a $200 civil forfeiture and about $190 in court costs. He has 60 days to appeal.
The state premises registration law took effect in Wisconsin in November of 2005; it is also being challenged on religious grounds by an Amish farmer in a pending case in Clark County.
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The premises registration law violates Constitutional guarantees that protect private property. By forcing this farmer to register his property as a premises, he has had his civil rights violated. This is a travesty of justice. Wisconsin is leading the way to the end of the United States as we have known it.
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What a shame! These people have done nothing wrong except to stand up against an unfair law. (think Rosa Parks and the back of the bus laws) Livestock owners are the new second class citizens. While the policemen, lawyers and judges were busy with these two cases, just think of how many meth/drug dealers were busy making their stuff to sell to our youth and some sex offender was violating a child. This must be fought or your American will soon be just like Nazi Germany or communist Russia of the 1930’s…read on…
Tracking disease is not new. In 1938-Nazi Germany targeted one segment of society they thought responsible for spreading disease, the JEWS. A law was passed that ALL JEWS had to register their property. Every piece of property they own into a massive database. IT worked. The Gestapo knew exactly who to raid by the value of their art and jewelry. We know the rest of the story, a minor event called the Holocaust!
In the same time period, the Russian Communist Government under Stalin starved millions of farmers in the most fertile part of the country because the law stated that ALL the grain they grew and their lands belonged to the govt! They were not even allowed to eat what they grew! The reason- Stalin wanted to sell Russian grain on the world market! And the grain was sold while 11 million died from starvation, execution, or prison life!
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I suggesst everyone write or call the town mayors of the areas where the Amish man and the other couple were arrested and complain loudly about his religious rights/their constitutional rights being violated. Also call the WI senators and congressmen to let them know how you feel about the way they treat their citizens. I have also sent emails to horse owners in WI to let them know how they may be in trouble and to fight this. Gosh, if gays and pornographers can get their rights to be the way they are, then we must fight to keep our rights!
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In Wisconsin, if a premise is not listed on the title to the property, they must gain voluntary (informed – this is a contract after all) consent of the owner. They cannot mandate a person to register a premise on their property.
The premise ID law itself is illegal!!!
Further, it destroys the argument that premise registration under NAIS does not affect title. It does. This is not a simple granting of an easement – it is a formal change in the basic ownership of the property in question. You don’t even get the consideration offered when they take property under eminent domain!! ITS FREE to register!!! How nice of them not to charge for the service…
Anybody see anything wrong yet??
We have a judge who is well aware of the law. She understands that she cannot rule for Pat and Melissa to register their property under Wisconsin state law. She obviously understands that the new law is moot.
So – instead, she fines them – the only course of action that will make them LOOK guilty and won’t get her immediately removed from the bench. How convenient!
$200 for the state to continue its quest to destroy small farms. $190 for the county so they can hire judges to avoid ruling on the letter of the law by providing the excuse that they ARE ruling on the letter of the law. Nice that in Wisconsin judges can choose which law they will rule by. I hope she can still sleep at night, though I doubt she’s given it much thought.
The attorney had the obligation to bring that standing law into the case. The judge, who must be versed in state law, and obviously was in this case, had the obligation to consider it when ruling.
What happened was not simply a minor injustice, but an end-run around the entire IDEA of justice. Her job is safe. They appear guilty. State gets money and standing. And not ONCE was the actual law taken into consideration by anyone other than the victims.
One has to ask why. Why did they get away with it? Because many, who were provided the information before this happened, refused to make that information public. There were no supporters calling beforehand. There were VERY few people in court for support. There was no coverage until after the fact.
If we, as individuals, don’t make sure information on these cases gets out far and wide, and we keep everyone informed every step of the way, they will do this with every single one of them.
Many of the so-called “major players” in our movement had the information well before this case was heard – same with the Miller case. There are other cases pending. How many of you have had any prior information on these cases at all?
We cannot rely on many of those who’ve garnered positions of trust as well as more than a dollar or two of our hard-earned money. If things continue this way, we will lose most – if not all – cases in Wisconsin.
What happens then??
WI is the cornerstone state for mandatory nation-wide NAIS implementation. If we fail there, we all lose – even in those states with so-called voluntary laws.
Sue
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We have been on top of this at PPJ, when no one else would touch it. Not one of these national organizations that have milked thousands out of farmers and herders appeared in that courtroom. They wouldn’t even send out any alerts about what was happening. After the fact…..each one of them made their excuses. After all……they couldn’t be expected to just drop everything and go to Wisconsin in support of those being prosecuted or persecuted. There wasn’t anything they could do…….which of course makes me wonder about the claims of providing legal defense for those targeted…..a defense that never materialized.
But, for some reason they still need you to hit that donate button…..cause they are working to defend you! Bear in mind that “free legal advisors” are worth what they are paid for their free advice. And we are finding that many of them are being funded at least in part, by the same people they claim to be defending you from under the guise of grants etc…
If anyone advises you to not take action, call attention to, to stay home from public meetings, to not protest,………run away. These are not your friends and surely not on your side of the issue.
Marti Oakley
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I just received notice I have five days to register my hobby farm. I do not believe this is my obligation and a violation of my religious rights and obedience to Jesus. If any one can give me any advise on how to advise the USDA of this please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration. I have been cited with a violation for selling goats at an auction that they say weren’t properly idendtified.
Is anybody out there listening? Is anybody paying attention? Print this story & tape it to your fridge. Next: Watch for when the Federal govt. decides to step in and put this under Federal control.