Keith turns forty today. He's a very good friend of mine, a brother. I've known him for nine going on ten years now, all of which while he has been living on death row at Mansfield Correctional Institution in Ohio. If you knew him, if you listened to his story and developed a relationship with him, you'd know, like I do, that he is innocent. One of those innocent men on death row statistics. Unfortunately, Ohio doesn't have a George Ryan sitting in the governor's chair. Nobody's leaning toward commuting sentences. So he's waiting for his case make it through the appeals process.

Let me introduce you to Keith. I've written of him before, but in case you missed it.....He plays the guitar. He cracks me up. He tells me blonde jokes and women jokes and all kinds of offensive little jokes but I laugh. He graduated from high school a year behind me so we understand each other pretty well. We talk music, cars, family, politics, pop culture and things from the past. He makes me laugh through the glass when I visit him. He smokes cigarettes, reads a lot, works out when he can, and has spent time in the past tutoring prisoners who couldn't read. He has two sons, neither of whom he's seen during his incarceration. He has a mother and father, but they pretty well ignore him. He's depressed this year for a number of reasons, but he still takes time to listen to me when we talk on the phone. He understands how he got where he is (see his website for details), and regrets small crimes he's committed in his life. But he didn't kill the victim he's accused of killing. He's a good man.

Keith, I wish so many good things for you this year, a break in the judicial process most of all. I wish you peace of mind, health, well-being, much love and superb attorneys. Happy birthday, Friend.