The stakes are as big as this start performance at the heart of the matter. Seal world appealing to a 3 judge federal p. asking them to overturn an O. ruling restricting trainers in the warren warrant with killer whales. No cameras are allowed but there are such high interest that the hearing was held at a law school auditorium. The 2010 death of veteran seal world trainer, D., brought an end to a breathtaking performance like this: B. was mauled by a killer whale she was working with. It was the 3rd dead connected to the same killer whale.

 

"All of the sudden, the whale just latched right to harm her."

 

O. ultimately fined seal world 12,000 dollars but more important, it banned close contact between humans and killer whales during performances. Sea world arguing that interaction is the crucial part of the business.

 

"Is that a legitimate argument?" 

 

"I think it's a legitimate argument. Again,  they're taking the position that this is just not a way we do work. It's what....It's our product."

 

Benjimin B. has argued operate appeals to O. rulings and says what the government agency has on its side is history.  

 

"There's a long and well documented track record of these types of animals behaving aggressively toward humans to the point that caused a number of fatalities, not only at sea world but at other places. 

 

E., son of Supreme Court Justice Antony S., argued in the hearing that O. has no more right to impose restrictions toward sea world than it does a regulate tackling in the NFL or speed limits in N. The judges took note but didn't give any indication of which way they may rule. In his argument appealing the O. ruling, Sea World many times referred to that connection between the NFL and NASCAR saying that there are some businesses that just inherently have some risk. To that, a judge piped in and said well, maybe. But for NASCAR, we've added seatbelts, and for the NFL they added helmets. In other words, there are ways to add safety protocols that don't really damage the business. Martin Savege, CNN, Washington.