Fresno Jail/Court Support Information for Joe Fortt, Dustin Costa, and Thunder Rector

I visited Joe Fortt yesterday, the former dispensary owner from Bakersfield, who is being held in Fresno County Jail on trial in Federal court. Dustin Costa (DC Greenhouse) of the Merced Patients Group is in another cellblock on the same floor. Another Federal cannabis defendant, Thunder Rector, is another facility of the same jail.

Joe was in pretty good spirits despite the heavy charges facing him and all of the oppression (including a serious assault in Joe's case) that comes along with incarceration. Having done a few months myself back in the SF & Madera County Jails waiting for trial on cannabis possesion charges, I know how valuable contact from the outside world is to inmates. If you can write them (even postcards rock), and/or ask to be on their visitor list, it would be greatly appreciated. See guidlines below.

Joe asked me to make a few calls for him to friends down in Bakersfield. Believe it or not, inmates in our Fresno County Jail can only make collect calls, as inmate calling cards are not available through the commisary. Sounds like a civil rights lawsuit waiting to happen, just as SF and other county jails have already experienced.

Here is the booking info and mail/visitation guidelines for our cannabis colleagues in the Fresno
County Jail:

Jail ID: T00229134 Booking No: 0523745
Name: FORTT,JOSEPH WILLIAM Date Of Birth: 11/14/62

Jail ID: T00229755 Booking No: 0526206
Name: COSTA,DUSTIN ROBERT Date Of Birth: 10/11/46

Jail ID: T00229060 Booking No: 0523378
Name: RECTOR,THUNDER THOMAS Date Of Birth: 08/27/72

Inmate Information Center (Query on name or booking #):
http://fresnosheriff.org/InmateInfoCenter/Main.asp

Inmate Mail/Money/Visitation guidelines:
http://fresnosheriff.org/InmateInfoCenter/JailGuidelines.htm

Last but not least, here are two back to back Fresno court support excerpts from Americans for Safe Access's last weekly alert. These are both tomorrow morning in the same building. Hope to see you there!
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Monday, August 29th, 9 am: Court Support for Joe Fortt in Fresno

Status hearing at 9:00am before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court, 5th Floor, 1130 “O” Street, Fresno, CA. Despite Joe Fortt closing the doors to his Bakersfield medical marijuana dispensary a day after the Gonzales v. Raich decision, his place of cultivation was raided and he was arrested on July 20, 2005. Fortt’s arrest and prosecution is emblematic of recent actions taken by the DEA in full cooperation with local law enforcement.

Please come to show your support!
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Monday, August 29th, 10:00 a.m: Court Support for Dustin Costa in Fresno

Earlier this month, patient & activist Dustin Costa (aka DC Greenhouse) was arrested by federal agents in Merced. He had been arrested a year and a half ago and was facing charges in the local court system. The D.A.recently turned the case over to the feds. DC is currently being held in the Fresno jail. He is on a hunger strike, in protest of his arrest.

Please join patients and advocates at his bail hearing on the 29th. DC is a longtime activist and would appreciate your support.

U.S. District Court
1130 “O” Street, Fresno, CA