To the Honorable Judge Wilken: My name is Elinor Rhiannon Clark Martin. I have two children, Tyler James Clark Martin and Lucas Michael Clark Martin. My husband’s name is Michael John Clark Martin. I am writing to you because my family is in danger, and I am hoping that you will show compassion and leniency to Mickey Martin. It has been almost a year since this nightmare started for our family. We have had to take Tyler out of a preschool that he loved, and that loved him. We have had to move to a new house, and a new city. There has been a remarkable amount of stress put on my husband, Mickey, and on our family. To say that the past seven and a half months has been difficult is an understatement. And there is the horrific possibility that the worse is still to come. I am terrified and unbearably frightened that I may have to explain to my four year old son that his father is going to be going away from us, and going to a place where bad people are sent. I can’t imagine trying to explain to Tyler that even though his father is a good person, and he is an amazing person, the possibility is there that he is going to have to go to this terrible place; somewhere where people who hurt and kill other people are sent. Mickey is a good person, an amazing person. I have known Mickey for twelve years now. He likes to say that after meeting me for the first time (I was interviewing him for a job), he went home and told his roommate that he met the woman he was going to marry. And he was correct, although it took eleven years and a failed marriage before it happened. Before it did however, I was able to have Mickey as a very close friend, He had this energy, this stamina, this drive that I had never seen in anyone before and have never seen since. My mother once said about Mickey, “When something needs to be done, you turn around and Mickey has either finished it, or he is working on getting it finished, but you don’t have to worry because he will get it done.” I admire how much, and consistently how much more and more Mickey gives to the people around him. There are few people in Mickey’s life, and in my own family, that he has not helped in some way. When my father and stepmother moved away ten years ago, Mickey was there to pack up the entire contents of their house into the moving truck, almost by himself. When Mickey’s mother became incapable of caring for herself, Mickey made sure to find a reliable caretaker for her, and to take on the financial expense of that care. From co-signing loans, to offering his couch to a friend in need, Mickey has been there for anyone and everyone he has ever known, anyone who needed him. One of the proudest achievements in my life has been working my way through college, and graduating with honors, and not only working, but working full time the entire way through college. That sense of pride was duplicated, if not surpassed, when I was able to watch Mickey graduate with honors, after working his way through college, with the added stressors of caring for his sick mother, and still being a strong and present father to his child. Both Mickey and I come from single parent households. When we started our own family, having the two of us working together, being together, being here for our children, was of the utmost importance to us. I think the fractured family life he experienced growing up made him that much more certain that he wanted to have a strong family, one that felt whole and solid to everyone involved. I am happy to say that I believe we have been able to achieve that. Tyler and Lucas love their father, need their father, and wouldn’t be the same without their father. When we brought our first child home, Mickey asked me if I wanted to go back to work, or if I wanted to stay home and care for the baby. I told him that I wanted to stay home, take care of Tyler myself instead of putting him into childcare, if it was at all possible. Mickey then did everything he could, and continues to do everything he can, in order to ensure that I am fortunate enough to stay at home with my children. Being able to stay at home with my children has been challenging, I would be lying if I said otherwise, but it is something that I wouldn’t trade for the world. My eldest son Tyler is currently playing little league baseball, and is lucky enough to have his father be the coach. They recently played their final regular season game, and are now headed to the playoffs, a concept that Tyler doesn’t quite understand, but which thrills Mickey to no end. After we returned home, Mickey shared a story with me; he and Tyler were the last ones to leave the field, after putting everything away, and he stopped in the middle of the field, and told his son how much he enjoyed this first year of baseball they spent together, gave Tyler a hug, and thought to himself, this is what it is all about, this is what it is all for. This, I feel, illustrates how important being a father is to him. I honestly feel that Mickey has been waiting his whole life to be this person, a father, not just a father, but a Father to his children. There is nothing more important in this world to Mickey than his family. A few months into this whole tragedy, Mickey came to me in tears. He was so worried that he had let me and the kids down, that he had failed as a father and husband. I told him then, and still believe now, that he in no way has failed this family. My husband truly believes that what he was doing was beneficial to the countless people who used these products. I don’t think that I could still be living this nightmare with him if I didn’t know that to be true. The Mickey that I know, the caring and loving person who curses like a sailor but will give you the shoes off his feet, operated under the ideal that his actions would bring peace to those who needed it. And for this reason alone, I found it effortless to stand by him while he worked within the cannabis community, and I find it effortless to stand by him now, and help him get through whatever else comes our way. One of our greatest achievements has been creating a strong and loving family. I know that Mickey, Tyler, Lucas and I can get through any obstacle that comes our way. However, words cannot express what Mickey brings to our family’s life on a daily basis. He is the rock we lean on, the light we use to guide ourselves by, and the standard by which we judge ourselves. I am lucky to know Mickey, to have him as my partner, and sincerely hope that you treat Michael John Clark Martin with leniency; his family needs him at home. Sincerely yours, Elinor Clark Martin