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Northern California patient Keith Alden is a true pioneer, having set precedent in court on many issues related to medical marijuana prosecutions. In February 2002, his cultivation case was touted as the first trial of a medical marijuana patient in San Francisco federal court since Californians passed their medical use law. Armed with an impressive knowledge of Constitutional law but disadvantaged by a deficiency of courtroom experience, Alden chose to represent himself during his own jury trial. He was unable to admit crucial evidence that his grow operation was a collective garden for legitimate medical marijuana patients, and the jury found him guilty of manufacturing over a hundred plants. Although initially placed on home detention, continuing to cultivate marijuana while on probation left Alden with a 44-month prison sentence. He served approximately half of that term before the 9th Circuit Court's ruling in Raich v. Gonzales (then Ashcroft v. Raich) set the stage for Alden to win a release while his case was on appeal. Freed on April Fool's Day in 2004, he was the first federal prisoner released on the precedent set by the appellate ruling in the Raich case. Weeks later, Alden managed to blaze yet another legal trail, becoming the first federal prisoner to be allowed medical marijuana pending appeal. Not long after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against Raich, however, Alden was ordered to serve out the remainder of his sentence. He was transferred to a federal institution in Oregon.
Oct 26, 2007:
Keith Alden has been released from Ft. Sheridan to a halfway house in San Francisco on Taylor Street close to Market Street. He may be there a couple of months before being further released to his own home in Windsor. His address is
Keith Alden
111 Taylor Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
I still put 96424-011 after his name, but it may not be necessary. He has been calling me on a payphone. He has an email address keithalden14@yahoo.com which he can access from a computer salon when he gets a break in the day.
He has announced his candidacy for President as a Write-in on the Libertarian ballot. You may have helped with getting him the Sec of State info on filing one's candidacy. We can keep the paperwork down and bureaucracy by not accepting monetary donations, and we can keep it grassroots this way, asking for donations of talent, skills and volunteer time.
Keith has been released to a halfway house.
111 Taylor St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
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Keith Alden
