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