Pubdate: Mon, 21 Feb 2000
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Copyright: 2000 The Orange County Register
Contact:  P.O. Box 11626, Santa Ana, CA 92711
Fax: (714) 565-3657
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Section: Commentary,page 2
Note: See MAP archives for more on McWilliams
Peter McWilliams added to subjectline by MAP

EDITORIAL UPDATE

Peter McWilliams,the Los Angeles author, publisher and cancer survivor
living with AIDS,faces sentencing March 27 on federal marijuana
charges and has asked people to write letters to the judge pleading
that he be allowed to serve his sentence under home detention.

McWilliams was arrested in July 1998 on federal marijuana charges,
after having given an advance to Todd McCormick, a medical marijuana
patient, for a book (see www.petertrial.com for more details). Last
November prosecutors got an order barring him from telling the jury
that he has AIDS, that marijuana is medicine, that the federal
government gives marijuana to eight patients, or that California
passed Prop. 215.

Stripped of any defense and facing a 10-year mandatory minimum
sentence, he pleaded to a lesser charge.

He is asking that letters addressed to Hon. George King be sent to him
at 8165  Mannix Dr., L.A., CA 90046.

Also on the medical marijuana front, the trial of Steve and Michele
Kubby on marijuana sales and cultivation charges is scheduled to begin
Tuesday in Placer County. 
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MAP posted-by: Derek Rea