JUDGE RULES ROSWELL'S " CHICKEN OUTLAW" GETS TO KEEP BIRDS

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ChickenMan, it seems that these people would be really stupid to do this after you won previously UNLESS they got new ammo. If even one taxpayer filed a complaint about the noise, dust, smell, predators, whatever then they would have grounds to start this mess all over again. And they didn't ban them altogether, but instead set up a system based on land size to prevent too much of the typical listed complaints, as many other cities (mine included) do.

If they got one, or more, complaints then they would have no choice but to give that taxpayer's rights just as much consideration as yours. Of course, it could be the council's brother that MADE the complaint... but legally... a tough road. You'd have to convince a judge that your right to keep over 200 pets is more valid than other people's rights not deal with the noise, dust, smell, predators, blah blah, that your pets cause.

OY, good luck with that.
 
You know after going back and rereading the articles I can not believe the OP even posted the links.

Think about this people, really think about it. This guy has pigs, chickens, pigeons and Lord knows what else on LESS THAN 1 ACRE OF GROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would you want to be his neighbor?

Obviously what happened here, is the OP exploited a loop hole in the law, a judge ruled in his favor allowing him to keep his chickens. For what it's worth I have no problem with that. However because he decided to keep HUNDREDS on a small piece of property the city counsel found it necessary to enact further laws. If the OP would exersized a small amount of restraint, reduced and maintained his menagerie at a reasonable level we here would not be hearing anything from him. He claims in a previous post that the issue was over 12 (dozen) chickens, but the news articles describe hundreds of birds. And let's not forget about the PIGS!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This is an extremely long post but I feel compelled to state the facts because there is so much lying and innuendo, so I feel the need to set the record straight.

I am shocked by the negativity I have read from many of you who don't know the real facts so here they are and I just ask that you look at them before you pass judgment.

I have never had 150 or 200 chickens. That is a bold faced lie that the city used to exploit the case. I have 50 chickens, 50 quail which are in a battery cage (stacked up so they take up a 3" x 4" square of space and that's was specifically designed by scientists in conjunction with Georgia Quail Farms, Clemson University and Texas A & M University to house over 100 quail. I also have some little partridges (no pear trees) and 50 button quail.

The 50 button quail are the size of cigarette lighters and live in aquariums in the house. They claim I have 200 chickens because they conveniently consider all birds the same. They claimed I have 200 birds for sensationalism and to turn the community that has steadfastly supported me into thinking I was some kind of nut with 200 chickens running all over my secluded one acre yard which isn't the truth. Here is a link that shows my neighbors who support me and my victory against the city in court in May. Ever since then, the city has had a vendetta against me.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/19601271/index.html

The pigs are miniature Vietnamese pot bellied pigs and are about the size of a medium size dog. They are just like little fat beagles and have a beautiful 4" x 8" house they live in complete with a thermostatically lheater for when it is cold. All of my neighbors have supported me in the past until last month when one neighbor stated he doesn't like the roosters but has no problems other than that. He should have checked the zoning laws before he purchased his house, because I have been here for 13 years and my animals have always been legal as Roswell was orginally a farming community in the past.

I VOLUNTARILY, am regularly inspect by The Georgia Poultry Lab Network, under contract to both The State Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA/NPIP CERTIFICATE #1097 GA) and am one of only 1100 chicken owners in the largest chicken producing state in the nation who can say that. I have been inspected by the Fulton County animal control and I always pass with flying colors. As a matter of fact, I teach classes at other local forward thinking cities, on "responsible chicken ownership in the city" and all too frequently voluntarily testify as an "expert witness" free of charge to other people fighting to keep their backyard chickens.

1) I did pay a ticket 7 DAYS LATE, yet was never was informed when I went to pay the fine, that my license had been suspended. It shows on the police computers, that I had paid the fine and my license was in a "reinstatable status". Under normal circumstances, officers usually write a citation and require you to bring your renewed license to court, where they usually dismiss the case.

2) My insurance technically lapsed but by GA law, the insurance companies give you a 30 day grace period to renew it. I was at all times fully insured and my car has current insurance.

3) The only thing I did wrong was to fight for my legal rights, and to have a burned out tail light.

4) The city let criminals with past records out of jail on just their signature yet held me for three hours until 1 AM, before they would let me even make a phone call.

5) They told me my bond (not bail) required $6500 in cash. In SERIOUS criminal cases they will always allow CRIMINALS or their families to pledge the deed to there property to make sure they appear in court. I am regularly in our city hall on business so there was no reason to doubt I would show up in court with my reinstated driver's license in my hand.

6) I am well known and respected in the community and it was just a vindictive move or there wouldn't have had three police cars sitting on the side of the road, waiting for me to drive by when there are only two patrol cars assigned to this entire 20 square mile area of the city on any other Monday evening.

7) For years I have donated or purchased and provided fertile eggs for all of the local school systems so they could teach the cyle of life to youngers since most of their budgets no longer allowed them to purchase eggs.

Now the local newspaper who originally reported they has inside information that my arrest was pre arranged has removed that article from their website, I assume fearing retribution from the local police chief and The City of Roswell.

This is where the article was posted but it is now a blank page. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/news/A-Chicken-In-Every-Pot-But-Not-In-Your-Backyard-1301

But here are some quotes from the article prior to it being removed.

ROSWELL'S CHICKEN SAGA LANDS CHICKEN MAN IN THE "COOP"

The Roswell chicken saga has been festering for months, with Roswell's very own "chicken man," Andrew Wordes, at the epicenter of the dispute. Wordes, a Roswell resident, has a backyard full of chickens that he keeps as household pets. Roswell has tried to enforce an old ordinance on the books to get rid of them. So Wordes hired former Gov. Roy Barnes to fight it.

But now he needs another lawyer to keep him out of the "coop" himself. Wordes got arrested by Roswell cops shortly after Monday night's meeting for allegedly operating a raffle without a permit, driving with a suspended license and letting his car insurance lapse.

Wood arranged for Wordes bail and subsequent release from the Roswell jail early Tuesday morning, by putting up the deed to his estate as collateral. "I did it as a friend, not as his lawyer," Wood said.

Sources inside city hall said the RPD knew about Wordes suspended license prior to the council meeting. "Chief Williams told the beat cops on duty to pull him [Wordes] over if they saw him driving out of the parking lot," one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Beacon. "Williams said he was aware of the mayor's support of Wordes, but he said that didn't entitle him to special treatment."

According to reports, Roswell Judge Maurice Hilliard set Wordes' bond at $6,500 cash, which caused him to spend the night in the "Roswell Hilton," otherwise known as the city jail. Hilliard refused to take Wordes' property deed as bail collateral, forcing Wood to get involved the next morning.

This is quote from our weasel of a councilmanwho changed his position in front of all of us and stabbed us in the back after having had the city spend 6 months drafting a new ordinance that he then totally disregarded and they rewrote in twenty minutes.

Here is a link to the ethicals of Councilman Rich Dippilito ( http://richtheweasel.com/)

This is quote from the Roswell Beacon Nov. 14, 2009.

Councilman Rich Dippolito, who introduced the new regulations, had the final word on the issue, saying he was in favor of people raising chickens, so long as they were responsible.

“I like the idea of supporting urban agriculture in Roswell. That is something that is coming forward throughout the country and it is something that we have to address,” he said. “The intent is not to have a chicken farm on someone’s property.”Please look at my face book page and you will see how well my chickens are cared for and learn about me before you criticize me without knowing the facts.

Here is a link to a prior article about the case and a quote from my next door neighbor, who with his family has been one of my strongest supporters!

Chicken supporter Clint Crowe said the final verdict was validation for what Wordes had gone through. “We’re ecstatic,” said Crowe

http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/Chicken-Man-Put-All-his-Chickens-in-One-Basket-and-Won-296

They also have failed to mention we are in legal litigation over their neglect and lack of storm water management and overbuilding in my area that has caused my property to continually flood.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/21274955/index.html


If after reading this you feel compelled to speak out, here is how to contact the city council. Please ask the city council what happened to my Constitutional Rights and what happened to grandfathering me in which is what we had been at the council meeting to discuss. Here are their emails and feel free to send it and post it everywhere you know and encourage others to do the same. BTW Lori Henry and Dr. Betty Price voted against the ordinance.


[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

One of the main reasons I put everything I owned in the world at risk to fight this battle was to honor my mother who recently passed away and who had purchased me my first chicks for me at the age of 10. As she was dying, each time I went to visit her, she always asked me if I have any baby chicks I could bring to Florida to visit and cheer her up.

Mom, I love and miss you every day but I know you are looking down on me and proud of me for standing up for myself like you always taught us to do.

I leave you with a few famous quotes from Gen George Patton Jr. who is one of America's best known heroes.

Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.

Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.


As always!

God Bless America, Little Piggies and Roosters!
Colt .45, God's answer to unanswered prayers.

Respectfully,

Andrew S. Wordes (The Roswell Chickenman)
Phoebe Farms
USDA/NPIP Certificate #1097GA
Co Organizer North Georgia Pet Chicken Meetup Group
Founding Member, Registered Breeder Marans of America Club
Instructor, Member, Oakhurst Community Garden Project
Member, Society for The Preservation of Poultry Antiquities
Member, United Orpingtons Club
Member, Georgia Farm Bureau
Member, Tennessee Farm Bureau
 
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I have always said I would fight this no matter what and even though the city passed a new Anti Chicken Ordinance the fight is far from over. I said It ain't over until the fat lady sings and I haven't heard any music yet."

Right now our State Representatives are stepping in and have proposed a STATE LAW that will allow families to have gardens, chickens, rabbits and goats for personal use. The State Representatives have now passed a "CHICKEN COOP" from the subcommittee forward. It appears the state is going to pass a law that will allow Georgia Residents to have chickens.

I am starting to hear the music and it's a sweet sounding country and western tune that my chickens and I can listen to together!

As many on BYC forum know I have been fighting for over a year and my lawyer is the former Governor of GA who also has chickens of his own. The judge in my case ruled chickens are legal last May so the city just wrote new ordinance and DIDN'T grandfather me in. They say you can't fight city hall but I am here to tell you YOU CAN.

That is a picture of one of my hens; HENrietta on the cover of our local paper!!!

Please read about it here:



http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/

If you want to see about the case you can just google my name: "Andrew Wordes" or "Roswell Chicken Man" or "Roswell Chicken Fight".

As always,

God Bless America, Little Piggies and Roosters!
Colt .45, God's answer to unanswered prayers.

Respectfully,

Andrew S. Wordes (The Roswell Chickenman)
Phoebe Farms, USDA/NPIP Certificate #1097GA
Organizer North Georgia Pet Chicken Meetup Group
Founding Member, Registered Breeder Marans of America Club
Instructor, Member, Oakhurst Community Garden Project
Member, Society for The Preservation of Poultry Antiquities
Member, United Orpingtons Club
Member, Georgia Farm Bureau
Member, Tennesee Farm Bureau
GA State Registered Lobbyist
 
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Hang in there CO!!!!

Ed
 
finally somebody showing they have some sense! go fearless leader!
it's great to see some maturity and seriousness in politics about this whole issue.
this is a great step up! keep up the great work.
 
I've been lurking and cheering for you !!! I think everybody is tired of being dictated to about every aspect of our lives. If we want that we could immigrate to a communist country . The little town I moved from a year or two ago is a little rooty poot town but the city guy down there harasses people to no end. I had to back him down several times in the past. He tried to bully everybody about every little thing and would flat out lie to you about the city ordinances. So I requested a copy and when he wrote me a letter that saying this or that was an infraction I would politely write him back and quote the appropriate orndinance. Some of these small town officials are a real piece of work. But to be fair- There are many who are fair and use common sense but they are becoming rarer and rarer. Good luck in the future- Wayne Chamberlain
 

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