LAWYER'S IGNORANT REMARKS

This letter is in response to the article titled "Marijuana: Man Jailed,"
which was published on May 31. My response after I read the article was
"unbelievable." The Rutland Herald's comments by attorney Duckman in this
article regarding his client I think are, at the very best, uninformed and
unprofessional. Attorney Duckman says that his client was "smoking a little
dope and drinking a little beer in violation of his condition of release."
Unbelievable!

Duckman also said that "they don't have treatment for potheads ... We can
arrange it, but we would have to look hard and wide to find one." Again
unbelievable.

I can only wonder if attorney Duckman looked in the yellow pages under
"treatment for potheads?" I also wonder why this public defender is
defending a client with a history of substance abuse in obvious need of
treatment, when he has zero knowledge of the disease and the treatment
programs that are available.

Fortunately for attorney Duckman's client, Judge Corsones realized that a
residential treatment program was in the best interest of the client.

While it may be true that there are only two residential treatment programs
for drugs and alcohol in the state of Vermont, attorney Duckman would not
have to look hard and wide to find one. Recovery House Inc. has been
successfully treating addictions for more than 20 years. I think this
attorney would be enlightened from a visit to either Grace House or
Serenity House.

JANE EMERSON

Shrewsbury