Roderick T. Harvey 
Saline Co. Detention Ctr. 
Harrisburg, IL 62946 
 
Jan. 21, '96 
 
Dear Mr. Olsen, 
     Thank you again for your concern, guidance, and for always 
answering my letters so promptly.  I appreciate the fall News 
Letter (is there a new one?), and all the other pertinent 
literature you have sent me; it is very informative, interesting 
and enlightening.  I am heeding your advice and trying to focus 
my mind away from suicide by becoming actively involved in the 
reform movement. 
     After you posted my letter on the Internet last November, I 
received three letters right away and was very excited about it.  
Unfortunately, that was the end of it, except for one very 
faithful correspondent from San Mateo, CA, a Dr. Tom J. 
O'Connell.  And, of course, one very negative letter from David 
R. McSporen of Columbia, MO, -- just to keep things balanced.  I 
shouldn't complain, but damn, after almost six months of 
diligently trying, I have not been able to establish any kind of 
social correspondence network whatsoever.  I am "starving" for 
some personal, semi-intellectual, like-minded correspondence, and 
this kind of "hunger strike" I do not wish to be on.  I believe a 
lot of my despondency is born of a profound loneliness. 
     Excuse me, Carl, I digressed.  The reason I am writing to 
you concerns my jury trial which is scheduled very soon, Feb. 5, 
a week from this Monday, in Benton, IL, near Southern Illinois 
Univ. in Carbondale.  I have a favor to ask, but time is so short 
I don't know whether it is even within the realm of possibility. 
     You are probably quite aware of the reputation of Public 
Defenders (Pretenders), so I'll refrain from belittling mine any 
further.  However, it is do disconcerting to know that my case is 
very defensible, but only if I could afford a good attorney who 
would excert some genuine effort, and then, no doubt, I could be 
acquitted.  My P.D. initially excited me with a lot of talk of 
intentions of things he would do to prepare a competent defense.  
Unfortunately, he hasn't followed through at all.  During his 
most recent visit I was informing him of the falsehoods being 
presented by the DEA regarding the quantity, quality, and value 
of said 148 marijuana (their spelling) plants.  I, sadly, am not 
going to be able to testify because of those pending charges in 
Kentucky, but he said that if I could find a knowledgeable person 
to act as an expert witness, he has the capability to pay 
expenses for that person to come testify at my trial, including 
being flown in from out of state. 
     You are the first person I thought of with the connections, 
and I'm hoping you will put me in touch with someone.  (By the 
way, I have never had any response from the Fam. Council on D.A., 
do you suppose there could be a willing expert witness amongst 
their group?) 
     I'll give you a condensed version of the situation and the 
false claims to be refuted. 
 
Facts: 
 
     148 plants, immature, the male (hemp) just beginning to 
flower.  50% or more will be male, discarded, no value.  The 
remaining at this point have very minute THC%, very low potency 
level, even mature leaves have virtually no street value. 
 
     I had been hospitalized for 7 weeks after a truck ran into 
me on my 10 speed bike.  I checked myself out and went to the 
woods on crutches, and was apprehended within hours, but was 
never observed around any plots of marijuana.  The prosecution is 
suggesting I was going to harvest then, sell it for millions, or 
hundreds of thousands of dollars, and leave the country.  
Actually, there was 2 - 3 pounds of green leaf, worth maybe $50 
to $100 on the street, but nobody really wants it. 
     The DEA is trying to make this look like a big, high-profile 
drug manufacturing operation, because they invested so much time 
in surveillance (6 weeks), so much manpower and equipment (23 
field agents, 2 planes, cameras, radios, vehicles, overtime 
payrolls, etc.), and all they wound up with was one crippled 
camper and enough marijuana for the personal use of a small 
family, or a couple of average smoking adults. 
     In the indictment, I'm charged with 148 sinsemilla plants, -
- that is really stretching the truth.  The feds now calculate 
100 grams per plant, which makes this 33 lbs.  An experienced 
gardner, botonist, anyone knowledgeable (our expert witness) can 
show how preposterous that is to the jury.  After the males are 
culled, the 74 (half) remaining plants out in the forest are 
attacked by insects, animals and diseases, lack of water and 
insufficient sun, and bing inundated with a myriad of wild 
plants, vines and weeds leave only 30 - 40 harvestable plants. 
     The federal gov't. supplies for medicinal purposes 10 
cigarettes a day, that's a quarter ounce (7 grams).  50 pot 
plants (100 g. per plant) supplies a half ounce a day, for one 
seasonal year; enough medical doses for two people.  Evidently 
this marijuana was being grown for personal use; not enough to 
sell, much less a big drug operation. 
     We'll ask the judge to allow the jury to find me guilty on 
lesser charges.  If he'll do this, I believe justice will 
prevail. 
     Carl, I apologize for running this out so long, I meant to 
be much more concise and clear. 
     And now it's about five o'clock in the morning and I'm 
trying to finish this before the mail goes out in about an hour. 
     My attorney suggested a reputable person without any felony 
convictions, of course.  Otherwise, I really don't know what kind 
of qualifications an expert witness should have, except whatever 
would impress the jury and not easily be discredited by the 
prosecution.  (Professor?) 
     I can be contacted via this message number (S.C.D.C. 618-
252-8661 - jail) at the jail, altho' I would have to return the 
call collect.  My P.D.'s name and address: 
     Phillip J. Kavanaugh 
     750 Missouri Ave., Rm. 110 
     East St. Louis, IL 62202 
     Ph.# 618-482-9050 
     I would have asked you sooner if I'd have known.  I sure 
would appreciate any assistance you can give.  I do believe it 
will make a significant difference in the verdict and the 
sentencing range.  There is a possibility that my court date will 
be set back anywhere from one day to several weeks, that is a 
very common occurance around here.  So any recommendations or 
suggestions are welcome, and I also have more input disproving 
false gov't. claims.  Thank you. 
     Sincerely, 
     Roderick