Hello FMLers and CA UPDATE folks,
 
I understand that there is some confusion about the upcoming hearing in
Yosemite and whether or not citizens should attend.  We have a letter from
Bob Treanor, Executive director of the Fish and Game Commission addressed to
the attorney my father hired, Joe Kouri, stating quite clearly that legal
opinions on the question of the Commission's authority to hear and decide
the ferret issue are to be presented to Mr. Randy Christison (the
Commission's legal counsel) in advance of that hearing, and that he will
present them to the Commission.  We don't like the idea that the opinions of
the legal authorities representin our side (Joe Kouri of Bononi and Kouri
and Mary Ellen Hogan of McDermott, Wills and Emery), will be filtered
through anyone reporesenting the oppositon.  Can you imagine a judge
allowing Marcia Clark to deliver Johnny Cochran's closing arguments?
Anyway, the attorney's are dealing with that issue but what is clear at this
point is that individuals would be wasting their time in attending the
hearing.  We're not certain if our attorneys will even be allowed time for a
presentation.  Hopefully both will be there to monitor the veracity of the
deliverance of their opinions to the Commission, but public testimony is not
on the agenda.  Please, if anyone has questions about what's going on, or
what to do, get the information first hand.  Something generally gets lost
in the translation otherwise.  Get the CA UPDATE directly from me by
e-mailing me at [log in to unmask] (I am not longer on the board of the CDFA
and this address will change sometime next month but I'll let you know in
advance), or visit the Weasel Web at:
http://www.ccnet.com/%7Ebeisners/gsfs/weasel.html.
 
Jeanne Carley
Coordinator
Californians For Ferret Legalization
[Posted in FML issue 1728]