It’s been a busy year since I last wrote to you about Fritz.  There have been a lot of ‘low points’ and only just recently have things gotten a lot better.   There are several things I want to write to you about in this email, among the most important are the status of Fritz’ Appeals, Fritz’ recent relocation back to Sheridan, Oregon (along with his new address) and  my new email address for Fritz’ updates.

We left last September at the point where, through your generous assistance, Fritz, represented by J.M. Irigoyen, was able to present the final appeal to the District court in Portland, Oregon.  Six months later, in March 2006 on a Friday afternoon, I received word from his sister that Fritz lost the appeal.  After all of the effort that we had put into the available appeals, it was a horrible blow.  However, by the following Tuesday I was able to find out that Fritz could still file a “Certificate of Appealability” (COA) to the same district court.  At least it was some consolation, especially as we were under the impression that the final appeal to the District Court had been ‘final’.  

Since then, the Portland District Court turned down the COA and a final COA has been submitted to the Ninth Circuit Court for several months now.  Fritz filed paperwork so that his attorney, J.M. Irigoyen could continue to represent him as a court appointed attorney (In other words, the government will pay attorney’s fees.) should this final COA to the Ninth Circuit be approved.  Once they approve the appealability, then the actual appeal needs to be submitted to the Ninth Circuit.   If the Ninth Circuit Court turns down the COA, then it ends there and Fritz finishes out the remaining 4 ½ years of his sentence.  This decision will truly be final.  

Although at times our patience has worn thin over the uncertainty of the last 4 ½ years, as usual we hold out some hope—mainly over the fact that it’s been about 4 months since Fritz filed to the Ninth Circuit Court.  Surely, we reason, if there was some flaw in the appeal they would have denied it immediately. 
 
Fritz has been moved twice within this last year.   As I mentioned at the beginning, Fritz was recently moved to the Sheridan, Oregon federal penitentiary (address at bottom), after having been placed in Big Spring, Texas from December, 2005 to July, 2006.   Fritz had been relocated to Big Spring from Phoenix, Arizona shortly before Christmas last year.  From the moment he arrived and immediately caught a perpetually circulating flu, (Could it have been the 52 man barracks sleeping arrangement?!!), through the assault incident three months later, and subsequent stay in solitary for over 4 months; it was one continuously bad experience.  

I drove down from Denver to visit him before his hearing on the assault, because after conferring with several inmates, he was pretty sure that the punishment would include an extra 90 day stay in solitary with no commissary, visitors or phone calls.  That’s exactly what ended up happening.  However, after several months of getting hardly any sleep in the barracks of the general population, he was thrilled to have his own cell and catch up on his rest.  From one of his letters, shortly after the incident he wrote:

“Let me report that I’m so blessed that God put me in the hole.  He designed the perfect time for me to inhale His sacred Word.  In less than 12 days (2 of them without glasses), I was able, thanks to YHWH’s mercy, to read the entire Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi.  Praise His Holy name!  I’ve been given the best sleep since coming to prison, including some of the best of my life.”

He also finally had a quiet place to do some writing.  Because the prisons are generally overcrowded, at various times while in solitary he had cellmates.  The prison officials managed to add about 4 more weeks to his stay in solitary while they made the decision to move him out of state.  It was a complete surprise to get my first phone call from him in 4 months from a holding facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on the evening of July 4th.  He was fairly certain that they would relocate him back to Sheridan, Oregon and so they did.  

He is relieved to be back at Sheridan and had this to say in a recent letter:

“Coming to FCI Sheridan has been a big blessing for me.  The prison has lots of amenities which were lacking in the last prison, and the accumulation of these minor blessings amounts to a big difference to me health-wise, stress-wise, and morale-wise.  Lots of fresh fruit, tomatoes, and other healthy foods are available.  The grounds have flower and vegetable gardens scattered throughout, including a waterfall and accompanying Koi-filled pond and flower garden with a variety of species including Rhodies.

“…What will be one of the focuses will be education.  Very quickly after my arrival to FCI Sheridan, I interviewed for a teaching job in the Education Dept. and was hired as an Education Tutor working from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This amounts to a full time job.  I may also end up with ACE classes to teach in the evenings.  My first full week of teaching went well.  Some of my students on their own praised me to my boss.  Yeah…that’s what a teacher wants!!”

It was a wonderful turn of events for Fritz to be sent back to Oregon.  At Big Spring he was dreading a tedious factory job quality assuring circuit boards.  He wanted so badly to get back to teaching and now, back in Oregon, he’s doing just that.

It’s hard to say when we will get word back from the Ninth Circuit Court, but I will let you know immediately when it happens.  If you’d like to write to Fritz, he’d love to hear from you—even a postcard would be great:
 

Fritz Springmeier 65941-065
FCI Sheridan
PO Box 5000
Sheridan, OR  97378

 
My address here in Denver, Colorado is still the same: 

Patricia Springmeier
700 N. Colorado Blvd., #126
Denver, CO  80207
 

With love, and blessings and thanks to you all,

Patty Springmeier