Attorneys for the Animal Legal Defense Fund along with individuals Carney Anne Nasser and Cheryl Conley appeared in Harris County's 334th civil court today to defend against baseless charges of defamation from the Downtown Aquarium and Landry's Inc, stemming from ALDF's initial Notice of Intent to Sue under the Endangered Species Act and urge Judge Steven Kirkland to dismiss the lawsuit. The plaintiffs argued that ALDF's initial letter falsely accused the Aquarium of animal mistreatment and violations of the ESA despite no past USDA violations. This, of course, ignores the tigers being confined to an entirely indoor, concrete exhibit at all times, and the animals exhibiting well-documented signs of boredom and insufficient space. Plaintiffs sought damages from the loss of business they claim that ALDF's letter caused. Defendants argued that federal court is the correct venue to dispute accusations raised under the ESA, and that the defamation suit brought by Landry's is meant to silence activists and waste legal resources. Furthermore, the defendants noted that the Texas Citizen Participation Act allows for the dismissal of frivolous defamation (SLAPP) lawsuits and mandates sanctions for companies that initiate these suits. Because of this, defendants requested that the tigers be liberated instead of monetary sanctions on Landry's. Judge Kirkland did not issue a ruling today, but is expected to do so within 30 days. For those interested, legal documents from the cases are available online through the Harris County District Clerk's office:(http://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/Common/Default.aspx.) The case number is 201679698-7. Stay tuned for updates soon!