Me? Guilty. Rogers: Not Guilty.

Dear Editor,

Is Lady Justice really blind?

I am an inmate in Mendocino County Jail. I have been reading your newspaper over the past few months as I am spending time for growing some pot. Bad me. Anyway, I'm not writing about me. I did break the law and I was on probation for a DUI con­viction and my pot case violated that probation restrictions. I am guilty.

I'm writing about a guy I met in here who isn't guilty, a man who has helped numerous times with other inmates medical needs and actually saved at least one life while he has been in here. I have read article article after article about this man and even before I met him the whole story seemed a bit fishy. After talking to him over countless chess and card games his account of his persecution sheds light on an incredible man's life that has been vindictively shot down by County officials and vindictive residents of his old hometown. I've heard about his going to court and then heard about a judge who is so involved in the lynching of this man that he has his trophy evidence sitting in his courtroom — rhe red dog. I feel this judge himself has been pushing the case.

I find it troubling to spend time with a man who I believe is actually innocent and who before this says he has never been arrested for anything. I'm a pretty good judge of character and I seriously feel he is telling the truth. I asked him why he doesn't get his side into the newspaper and expose the entire ruthless persecution of him and his family. He responded that he's not allowed by his counsel to say anything. I have seen personal pictures of his wife and sons. Their family home was lost in foreclosure due to the prose­cution. I've heard numerous stories of him saving lives as a fireman and at Boy Scout campouts and of him helping his aging grandparents etc..

All this leads me to believe that he is totally inno­cent. I have read your paper's account of his trial and hearings and it all seems to be a little on the I-won­der-if-this-is-true questionable side. I can't believe this man turned down a plea bargain offered by the district attorney's office for accessory after the fact and a 90 day jail term and instead got a life sentence. He said he turned it down because he was innocent!

Hearing that he has to pay a Sacramento attorney over $100,000 to represent him only to have DA Tim Stoen take his attorney away for some “wink” in court was a little added extra.

Last night Rogers got two pieces of mail that the deputy would not give it to him. He was pissed when he learned that his incoming mail has to go to “classi­fication” first, whatever that is. I guess the cops open and copy his mail that comes in. Aren’t there some federal laws prohibiting that? Also he told me that the judge not releasing the juror names is a joke because he, Rogers, picked his jury and took notes throughout the trial. He and his attorney already have the jurors names and where they live! What a joke! The “Klan” thing is also a joke. Rogers says he employs blacks in his business in Sacramento. All of this is known by Stoen. Stoen is just a sick man.

So are the people trying to push for no mistrial. This guy deserves a chance.

The judge replaced his attorney by going through the Yellow Pages and choosing an ex-District Attor­ney with only a few years of experience to represent a man on charges that could put him in prison for life! How could a judge do such a thing in the interest of justice? Then, reading about his mistrial efforts and the accounts of a juror being involved with the news media and lying on her jury questionnaire. All this because the man was a prominent Republican figure in a liberal dominated county?

I truly believe from what he has told me that he is not lying that he is not being prosecuted but perse­cuted by a shady at best ex Jim Jones follower, DA Tim Stoen. He told me there were more questions on the jury questionnaire about whether people knew about the DA's involvement in Jonestown and the hundreds of deaths from poison Kool-aid.

I feel this man is being maliciously “stoened” by the very liberals who don't believe in hurting their fellow man. I have never read any letter telling of this man's side. Why? Do you dare see his side? Is the media that lopsided that they just don't want to won­der why Judge Brown after over three months still has a five-foot red dog in his courtroom? What other evidence is left in other judges’ courtrooms for months at a time? I think Judge Brown should be ashamed.

I personally am a liberal and didn't like the Bush administration, however good or bad. I do believe in justice and if half of what Mr. Kenny Rogers says is true he deserves a fair trial. I don't see how justice can be served with an arrogant judge and a prosecutor who has a past like Tim Stoen. Why does Mendocino County have officials who are so openly arrogant with their positions of power? How is the blind eye of Lady Justice observed when our officials can persecute people for their own agendas? Just a thought.

I hope Mr. Rogers gets a mistrial and can actually expose the vindictive two-faced officials. I hope you print this. Please don't put my name for my own pro­tection from the cops in here. They also mistrust people who write.

Sincerely,

Name Withheld

Ukiah