Court upholds US cockfighting ban, rejects challenge in Guam

HONOLULU (AP) — A U.S. appeals court has affirmed a ban against cockfighting in U.S. territories. The ruling Wednesday (Dec. 22, 2021) rejects a Guam businessman’s 2019 lawsuit arguing the ban is unconstitutional. Sedfrey Linsangan argued in his lawsuit cockfighting is part of his culture. He appealed after a U.S. judge in Guam denied his motion for a preliminary injunction against the prohibition. In 2018, former President Donald Trump signed a law banning all animal fighting in U.S. territories. The law took effect in 2019. Prior to the law, cockfighting had been illegal in the 50 states but not U.S. territories.