This video of Jed is from last September
I've known Jed MIller since right after he came out of the California Prison system. It was my final year of Lutheran seminary. Something about the man drew me to him. He has a knack of making you feel special and important.He is always looking to give of himself, even when he doesn't have anything. He always asks if there is anything he can get for you while he's up.
He's a talented artist, a gifted tattoist and he dreamed of owning his own car detailing shop.
His is an interesting story. Jed was sentenced as one of the first targets of the three strikes laws in California to 25 to life back in the 90s for the theft of two bicycles. When Californa changed its laws in 2013, they let him out, time served. No probation, no restrictions, no preparation for the outside world. He did all right for some time while he stayed sober. It was then that I met him and got to know what kind of man he is when he's clean.
But the lure and availability of drugs in the San Francisco Bay area proved too much, and he struggled for awhile. We got him into a couple different treatment programs. But he was invited to move to Montana where things really looked up. He had constant work, he was taking care of himself, and able to maintain a life.
But Jed suffers from chronic pain, and it was easy to let the inner demons eventually caught up with him and he found ways and means to get more.He then became a bad decision maker and someone who couldn't maintain steady employment. So in order to maintain his habit, he turned to dealing.
But when Jed is acting on criminal impulses, his past history demonstrates, he's an incompitent criminal. Before being in "the game" very long, he got caught--while speeding in a construction zone. Now, becuase of the environment in our country, that the drug he was selling is currently being publicly touted by media and politicians as an "epidemic", that he has a past history and because he was arrested in a state with a rather extreme view of certain crimes, he's facing a possible 30 year sentence. They may even decide to tack on more. Jed is 56 years old. That's basically the rest of his life. Whatever Jed has done, Jed doesn't deserve that.
We don't expect miracles from an attorney, but we do expect that good representation will help us attain a reasonable sentence, one more in line with his circumstances, and maybe we can finally look at addressing Jed's real needs, to establish life skills that were never fully established in the early part of his life, and which deteriorated in his former incarceration.
We need help. $15,000 will retain a decent criminal attorney, but that's likely just the beginning. I'm not sure how much this will ultimately cost. But we can't do this without one.
The world outside is a much better place with Jed in it. When Jed is free and sober, he's capable of remarkable, wonderful things.
Cary
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