Re: Zimmerman legal fund

[hoz@univel.telescan.com (rick hoselton)]

>
>I just received a bit of mail asking about the Zimmermann Legal
>Defense Fund, which, like many folks out there, I support.  The writer
>implied that he might give money because I suggest it in my sig, but
>expressed questions about its legitamacy, and questioned if it's "just
>someone trying to exploit the Zimmerman case"
>
>Could someone in the know talk about the relationship between FV and
>the ZLDF? I don't like to spread misinformation, so I won't answer
>based on conjectures.
>


I had similar concerns last month, so I emailed the following to 
csn.net!dubois ("Philip L. Dubois")

> 
> Could you please inform me of the financial status of the fund 
> raising for the Phil Zimmerman case?  How much money has been 
> collected, and how much has been spent, and what are the future 
> anticipated expenses?  I might like to contribute, but "a normally 
> unreliable source" has claimed to me that something on the order of 
> $50,000 has been spent, and there is not even an indictment yet.  
> Is this true and is this reasonable?  Is it true that some/all of
> his legal services are being done "pro bono" (I hope I got that phrase
> correct, maybe I should just say "for free")
> 
> If you choose to reply, may I have permission to make your reply public?
> 
> Rick F. Hoselton  (who doesn't claim to present opinions for others)
> 


I got back the following reply:
> 

>Mr. Hoselton--
>
>Since the government has not yet decided whether to indict Mr. Zimmermann,
or at least hasn't >told us its decision if it has made one, we continue to
accept donations to the Zimmermann >Legal Defense Fund.  I've never added up
the total amount of all donations to date, but I >doubt that it would be in
the neighborhood of $50,000.  I can tell you that several lawyers >have been
working on the case and that all of them but me have done so pro bono, which
means >that they have not been paid.  Since I have been lead counsel and
have therefore had primary >responsibility for the defense, I have not been
pro bono, at least not entirely; I have not >billed for much of my time.  We
have no way of knowing how long this case will go on.  The >government could
tell us today that it won't indict, in which case it will be all over, or it
>could indict very soon, or it could do nothing until June of 1996 when the
statute of >limitations expires.  
>
>You have my permission to make my reply public.
>
>Philip L. Dubois
>Counsel for Philip Zimmermann
>
Rick F. Hoselton  (who doesn't claim to present opinions for others)