Both defendants were found GUILTY
Within the United States, the Freedom of Religion is a sacred right. The ritual slaughter of animals still exists to this day under processes such as the Jewish practice for kosher products. These practices have been protected by the encroachment of targeted legislation. However, all such practices allowed today have a uniting factors. They do not break an existing secular law, the secular laws do not cause an undue burden, and the slaughter of the animal is humane.
In our state, Animals must be killed with a justified reason, else it would be cruel. The law purports that Religion alone can be a reason for the initial slaughter, however that slaughter must not break existing law or be wasteful. The animal must still be consumed, processed, or otherwise not wasted. The killing of animals, even if for a religious reason, must still not be senseless and cruel. The kosher process avoids this by being a part of regular butchering for the communities consumption.
The State did not prove any sort of inhumane slaying. So we are entirely focused on what has been done with the animal itself. We recognize it was not the killing of a domesticated animal, and were animals plus fish that were part of the allowed hunting list.
The defendants admitted on the stand to offering to this 'Shrine' of Tera. The offering is to be half the hunt of Fishing or Hunting. Unprocessed fish and raw animal meat was left at the altar with the defendants present. It is beyond a reasonable doubt, with Ember being identified as a leader of the group, that they have left unprocessed animal parts or carcasses now or in the past by their own admission and the conclusion of this court.
Because the entire purpose is to leave the meat without being processed, dumped in the wilds, and illegally littering the area, the court finds that this act to be unlawful. The entire goal of killing the animal is to waste it, understood that half on an entire hunt is unnecessary kills. It is not a legally justified reason to kill an animal. Being half the hunt, this slaughter is egregiously excessive and reasonable law not unduly burdensome to expect practitioners to properly take care of the environment and carcass. These killing that result in secular death and death alone are completely unjustified. Hunters MUST hunt ethically, and not pollute the environment with their kill carcasses. The animal must be used, processed, or otherwise properly disposed of (Not just dumped in a trash because the kill was fun). Even sport hunters know this, collecting the carcass and properly processing it for stuffing, donating the meat, and otherwise following regulations. Wanton waste is a disgusting perpetration of needless slaughter otherwise.
As such, the defendants are found guilty of second degree animal cruelty for the improper and wasteful killings of these animals they are offering to the shrine. No religious practice can alone allow for this level of waste.
