Kubby's flight landed about 8:00. I got to the airport around 7:30.
There were perhaps three dozen supporters, with many signs, and half a
dozen TV cameras. I didn't recognize any other Libertarians. Most of
the people I spoke with hadn't met Kubby, and knew little about him;
they were activists for the cause of medical marijuana, many of them
obviously with a personal interest in the issue. Kubby was traveling
with his attorney, Bill McPike; it was evidently their expectation that
Kubby would be allowed to remain in McPike's custody until his hearing
in Placerville on Tuesday. Instead, police met the flight at the gate
and escorted Kubby downstairs, bypassing the welcoming committee and the
TV cameras, and whisked him off to jail. In Redneck City--excuse me,
Redwood City--not San Francisco. McPike came out and spoke with
reporters and supporters. There is supposedly some sort of hearing in
Redwood City this morning at 9:00, but McPike didn't know anything about
it. He is extremely soft-spoken; standing directly behind the reporters
he was speaking to, I was unable to hear him at all. I hope his
soft-spoken, casual manner carries tremendous power in the courtroom, if
Kubby makes it that far.
The attitude of the supporters present struck me as resolutely, and
incongruously, optimistic. "There must a law against what they're doing
to him. . . ." Unlimited, unalterable faith in the government to
restrain itself, and not do what it wants to do most, which is to punish
critics. The last time Kubby was in jail for 4 days, without access to
marijuana, he nearly died. His supporters seemed convinced that the
government would not allow that to happen, lest Kubby be made a martyr.
I personally don't see the government as that terrified of creating
martyrs. It is true that his dying in jail would constitute pretty good
proof of his claim that marijuana is what has kept him alive for the
last 30 years. But that outcome could be prevented by the simple device
of having wardens look the other way while other inmates took care of
him, as was done with John Geoghan. I would be at least mildly
surprised if Kubby had another 2 weeks to live.