On Friday Marvin Chavez,founder of the Orange County Patient,Doctor,Nurse
Support Group,which has tried to develop a distribution system to get
marijuana to patients who are authorized to use it under Proposition
215,got a new lawyer and a new date to begin his trial on 10 counts of
selling marijuana.

James Silva of Los Angeles, who has defended people who tried to set up
medical marijuana distribution networks in San Diego, San Francisco and
Ventura counties, is Mr. Chavez's new lawyer, permitted to take the case
after the public defender's office declared it had a conflict because it
was defending other medical-marijuana cases.

Mr Chavez will have to raise money to pay Mr. Silva, who told us he will
have to study the case to date to see if he can find a way to bring about a
change in Superior Court Judge Frank Fasel's decision not to allow Prop.
215 to be used as part of the Chavez defense.

Some pre-trial motions are expected and the trial is scheduled to begin
Sept. 28 at 9 a.m.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan