JUSTICE
The following is true and correct to the best of our knowledge although some statements are purely our opinion.
We are very frightened for our safety due to the local courts and their constant bigotry based harassment and discrimination toward us. We are an openly gay couple working a family supported business.
We plea for an investigation into the blatant abuse of the rules to fit the needs of the local court system. John is constantly nailed to the cross by unfair sentencing by a newly founded DUI/drug court. This court is a federally funded experiment here in Grant County. We’re curious of its existence since it has a low success rate. We wonder if they keep John in the program to “pad” the numbers to keep the federal funding available to the courts. John has even converted his fines/fees to community service, since we do not (and cannot) have an income to afford our healthcare. Both of us are HIV positive and feel as if we have been targeted due to the stigma associated with our illness. Due to the vast expense of medical care and prescriptions we are forced to accept a state welfare health program. Every time John is jailed it voids his state funded medical and prescription coverage. He is then forced to reapply with the state every time he is released. The court has tried to trick us and the pharmacy into giving up John’s prescriptions to avoid the expense. A member of the court has even phoned me in the past to ask if I would deliver John’s medications while he was in jail. While in jail John’s medications are supposed to be provided. When the court jails John we never know if he will receive his medication or not. We want to make sure that the funds being spent are used in the manner the federal government has set.
Stress forced upon John and I is detrimental to our health. Stress is the number on although silent killer. That is why we are frightened for our very lives. We feel the stress damage of our very health, silently and slowly killing us.
John P. Christensen and Nathan W. Franks
Soap Lake