Keith Alden released

I received this information from Americans for Safe Access:

Keith Alden, who has served more than a year in
Federal prison for a conviction of cultivating
marijuana was released on bail on
Thursday night from Federal Prison Camp Sheridan.æ He
had to come up with his own money for the bus trip to
his home in Sonoma County.

The 9th Circuit court heard Keith’s appeal on Feb. 2,
2004.æ Appellate Judges Alfred T. Goodwin, A. Wallace
Tashima and Richard R. Clifton ruled that the case was
vacated and deferred pending the issue of the mandates
on two cases:æ U.S. v. Stewart, No. 02-10318, and
Raich v. Ashcroft, 03-15481.

Keith was one of those prosecuted in Federal court for growing marijuana who was not allowed in court to defend himself. As CalNorml wrote:

In accordance with federal law, Judge Martin Jenkins rigorously excluded any mention of medicine, illness, medical marijuana or Prop. 215 at the proceedings. The court smiled condescendingly as Alden struggled with the rules of evidence and strove vainly to defend himself against the US government Leviathan.

Naturally he was convicted. His release now is further evidence of the importance of the Raich v Ashcroft ruling in the 9th Circuit.