Opening statements began Monday in the Sonoma County trial of animal activist Zoe Rosenberg, whose defense hinges on whether jurors see her actions as a moral rescue or a criminal conspiracy.

Rosenberg, 23, faces one felony conspiracy count and three misdemeanors stemming from a series of incursions at a Petaluma Poultry facility between April and June 2023. Her case, overseen by Judge Kenneth Gnoss, is expected to last much of October and has drawn national attention because of her ties to Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, an animal rights group known for aggressive demonstrations at farms and grocery stores.

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Several of Rosenberg’s supporters filled the courtroom Monday as opening arguments began. She sat quietly beside her attorneys as prosecutors laid out their case.

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