EVERETT, Wash., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A judge in Washington state has refused to order prosecutors to charge three former employees of a medical lab, where a monkey was killed in a washing machine.
An animal rights group tried to bring a citizen's complaint over the death of the cynomolgus macaque monkey at Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratory in Everett, the Seattle Times reported. The monkey was overlooked last year when its cage was put through a washer, where it was doused with scalding water, the group's lawyer said.
Everett District Judge Roger Fisher said he did not believe a jury would convict if the employees were put on trial. He also told members of Pasado's Safe Haven that he did not want to reverse the judgment of the county prosecutor.
Adam Karp, representing the animal rights group, said that he may appeal Fisher's decision.
The Washington law allowing citizen prosecutions is rarely used.
