Status of Appeal 03/30/08

Hello Everyone,

The filing of the appeal with the 9th Circuit Court has been delayed for what we hope will be the last time. It is now scheduled for April 28, 2008. Just a reminder, the filing is only the start of the process. If you haven't already, please take a minute to review our prior blog posting as it talks about the multiple steps yet to come.

We saw Brandon on Easter and he's doing okay. His yard has been locked down quite often in the last couple of months and that makes scheduling visits a challenge. Even so, he has great friends and family who are willing to risk being turned away. We've really been grateful that the long drive hasn't deterred them.

Warmest regards,
Gene and Janice Hein

Status of Appeal 03/03/08

Hello Everyone,

We have an update for you on the status of the appeal. It was not filed as planned in February. The attorneys needed more time with the brief so the new date for filing is March 25th. From some of the messages we received, our last blog posting apparently caused some confusion. Filing a brief is a time consuming process. Even though March 25th is the new date, we do not expect an answer from the courts for 6 months to a year. There are many steps in the process. The Attorney General's office will be given time to file a response and our attorneys will then be given time to file a reply to their response. Then it will be in the hands of the court for a number of months. Whether oral arguments will be granted or not this time, we do not know. So as you can see it will be a long time before we know the 9th Circuit Court's ruling. We wish that were not the case but it is.

On a more positive note, Brandon continues to produce incredible artwork with the materials he has at hand (pencil, pen, colored pencils). We planned to visit last weekend but his yard was locked down so we will try again. He sends his thanks for your cards, birthday greetings, and letters.

In February, the Calvary Lutheran Church in Grants Pass, Oregon put on a fundraiser for Brandon's defense fund. This is the church of Brandon's grandparents. It was a beautiful event with about 90 attending a German dinner, purchasing raffle tickets for donated, and in many cases handcrafted, items. Music was played, songs were sung, prayers were given, and love filled the room. We are very blessed to have such a caring group of people in our corner just as we are blessed to have all of you.

Warmest regards,
Gene and Janice Hein