Challenge to Sacrifice Law Blocked : Animals: Judge rules city ordinance does not infringe on Yoruba religion. Group says it will continue practice.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge Friday blocked the first legal challenge to a new city ordinance outlawing the sacrificing of animals, but the religious group that brought the challenge indicated that it intends to break the law and continue the practice.

Judge John Zebrowski denied a motion by 12 members of the Los Angeles-based Orisha Temple, who practice the Yoruba religion, for a temporary restraining order on the law that goes into effect Monday. Raymond P. Boucher, attorney for the members, argued that the ordinance would effectively wipe out the religion.

Under the beliefs of the Yoruba faith, which originated in Nigeria, animal sacrifice during religious ceremonies is considered a source of spiritual power and purity. In various ceremonies, farm animals, predominantly chickens, are sacrificed and then consumed. Some ceremonies involve the initiation of children.

Zebrowski said the ordinance would not stop the group from practicing the religion. He added that there was a “good argument” that the ritual sacrificing of animals could be psychologically harmful to children witnessing the ceremony.

Boucher also argued that the animals were slaughtered according to state codes. But Deputy City Atty. Michael L. Klekner, who represented the city in the hearing, said those codes only applied to commercial slaughtering operations.

Zebrowski set a hearing on the merits of the city’s ordinance for Dec. 18. Klekner said he felt the law would be upheld.

However, after the hearing, Boucher said that he will encourage the Yoruba members to violate the ordinance. He said he will attempt to block enforcement of the new law by filing an emergency order with the state Court of Appeal next week.

“I’m telling the church members to break the law because the law is invalid,” Boucher said outside the courtroom as about a dozen temple members stood behind him.

“They cannot live without this ritual,” he said. “You might as well put them behind bars and take away their liberty, because denying them the right to do this is taking away their life and breath, their right to survive.”

To deny the Yorubas the right to sacrifice animals “is like telling Catholics that they can’t go to the altar and take Communion because it’s a form of cannibalism, or telling a Kosher Jew that they can’t slaughter their animals in a kosher method,” Boucher said.

The Los Angeles City Council approved the ordinance last month after a flood of complaints to the city Department of Animal Regulation about animal carcasses being found in parks and trash containers. Department officials said the increase is a result of the popularity of satanism and the growing numbers of Caribbean and South American immigrant communities that practice Santeria, an ancient African animist religion.

The ordinance would make animal killings punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

As many as 300 animal sacrifices were reported in Los Angeles over the past year, including about 100 complaints from citizens who found mutilated animals in trash containers or in open areas in a condition suggesting some sort of Santeria-related ritual.

“In almost every find, the animals are decapitated, leaving no clue as to whether or not the animal suffered in death,” according to a report by the Department of Animal Regulation.

But group members said their laws prohibit the discarding of the animal carcass. The slaughtered animal is consumed during the ritual.

Although officials have linked the Yoruba faith to Santeria, Boucher said the Yoruba religion is not affiliated with Santeria but was a “very specific African religion that comes from Nigeria.” He estimated that 50,000 people in Los Angeles County are members of the Yoruba faith or similar religions.

Osvaldo Borrell, president of the temple, said the sacrifices were handled responsibly and in accordance with the religious tenets. “We do not hurt anyone else by doing what we do,” he said. “We are productive people in the community.”