Professor Larson Comments on PETA Whale ‘Slavery' Suit for Southern California Public Radio
Professor Carlton Larson commented for a news report on Southern California Public Radio station KPCC on a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in federal court against SeaWorld, asking the court to consider whether 13th Amendment prohibitions against slavery may be applied to whales held in captivity at the San Diego entertainment park.
"I don't think the Constitution of its own force says that they [whales] are entitled to some of the same constitutional rights as people," Professor Larson said. "Courts, when they are trying to apply something like the 13th amendment, want to have a clear line to know what is covered and what's not. Holding [that] slavery governs human slavery, not animal slavery, is a nice clear line."
Carlton Larson's research interests focus on constitutional law and legal history, with a strong emphasis on the 18th century.