| Location: |
FCI ASHLAND, P.O. BOX 6001, Ashland, KY 41105 |
| Description: |
Completely disabled from a 1997 car accident, Joe Kidwell used marijuana to treat constant pain from his severe back injuries. While living in California, Kidwell got the doctor's recommendation required under state medical marijuana laws and began cultivating a small garden. After a bust and a trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, a jury found Kidwell guilty of cultivating 14 marijuana plants. The verdict came in spite of the presentation of multiple written doctor's recommendations and the fact that two doctors testified on Kidwell's behalf. He was sentenced to a term of probation that allowed him to smoke marijuana in his house but specifically forbade him from engaging in any marijuana advocacy. Done wrong in a state where medical marijuana was supposed to be legal, Kidwell looked for greener pastures elsewhere. He ended up in Kentucky, where his cultivation activities resulted in a federal indictment against him in August 2002. In his ensuing trial, Kidwell claims he was not permitted to represent himself, and that 17 of his 18 witness were denied an opportunity to testify. Kidwell is appealing the conviction that resulted from this trial, but the appeals process is proving to be a lengthy one. After years of delay, oral appeal arguments were heard in his case in November 2006, showing the first signs of continued progress towards justice. Meanwhile, Kidwell remains imprisoned in Kentucky, with release scheduled in 2011.
Joe Kidwell 08559-033
FCI ASHLAND
P.O. BOX 6001
Ashland KY 41105 |
Joe Kidwell
