Vernon Hershberger Sentence and Fines Are DecidedHeather Callaghan Vernon said after the verdict: Praise the Lord! Now I can feed my community again. Just days after, Wisconsins Department of Justice went after him and pressured the judge to jail him immediately. This case was about one person believing that he was above the law. That was the underlying theme, said Department of Justice attorney Eric Defort. At the sentencing yesterday, the State (prosecutor) was pushing for $3,000 in fines, a year of probation and payment for probation supervision costs. Defense attorney Glenn Reynolds (no relation to judge) plans to challenge the holding order conviction, saying: If the jury found him not guilty on the need to have licenses, there was no legal basis for the holding order. The State really wants to crucify this guy I mean how dare he think he can feed people without their permission. Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund attorneys Glen Reynolds and Elizabeth Rich reported on Vernons sentencing Monday. Agents had ruined his food in a 2010 raid by pouring blue dye into a giant bulk tank, ruined his personal food, stole his computer and files and left his family with two days food. So breaking the tape was also a practical measure. He didnt let his homegrown food rot and go to waste. Imagine agents coming in and locking up your refrigerator. Without Vernon violating this order he would not have had the opportunity for a jury trial that rocked Wisconsin. I havent said this much before, but I think Vernons deep peace from his belief in God speaks volumes. He doesnt bow down to State idols but trusts God for protection. I think Vernon was less ruffled by it than many of his supporters! Dear State, you are not God people really can decide for themselves what healthy foods to eat. Jurors at this trial got to learn a lot about food choices, biology, food law, jury rights, and government aggression. After his sentencing, the jurors who voted guilty on the holding order apologized to Vernon. They didnt know: it was based on the farmer not having the licenses the jurors ruled he didnt need. They were meeting his wife, Irma, and some of his ten children. The jurors were asking about becoming members of his food club AND buying raw milk. [] in the ultimate slap, a cadre of new converts from among individuals who came to the case with nary a passing interest in raw milk and nutritionally dense foods. Vernon is happy to finally get back to farming. Look into donating atFarm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fundto support Vernon and his family through this battering of legal aggression. More help could be used for covering the legal costs of this dragged-out case. Locate YOUR real food source! 20 Places to Find Local Food and Family Farms Near You linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 