I met Kyle Catlin almost one year ago. As I’m writing this, he sits in protective custody at the Marana Community Correctional Facility, afraid for his life after an inmate recently jumped him and then threatened to kill him for being “a snitch.”
The inmate split Kyle’s lip open. The inmate now sits in solitary because of the fight. Kyle is also in “the hole” for protection. Both of them were issued a complaint even though Kyle didn’t do anything, according to his father Marvin.
This wasn’t the first time. A couple of months ago, another inmate in a different correctional facility jumped Kyle and split his head open.
“His appeal for the guy punching him in the mouth was denied, he has one more appeal and is working on it now. If he is denied again he will have to be put in a medium security facility,” Marvin told me through Facebook a couple of days ago. We’ve been in touch here and there since Kyle’s trial.
“He is being threatened by a group of inmates. He should be moved to protective custody tonight.
I fear for his life,” Marvin said last night.
It was a three-digit-hot August day last year, and the young medical marijuana patient/caregiver and I were supposed to talk about his upcoming two trials for nonviolent marijuana sale, possession and cultivation felony charges over some iced coffee or tea at Cafe Passé on Fourth Avenue. Kyle called me to let me know he couldn’t make it because his car had broken down and he’d taken it to a shop in South Tucson. I met him there and we talked in the waiting room for at least three hours.
Before we got into the serious talk, he chatted about his upcoming birthday party on Aug. 15. It was his 27th birthday.
Tall, the blondest of hair, soft spoken, kind eyes, beyond family-oriented and a die-hard fan of car racing—I remember thinking, how can he be facing the possibility of going to prison?
At the time, he had at least 10 felony charges on him. (Read more about the charges, In Defense of Marijuana, September 2015.) He told me he was afraid of going to prison. He was afraid of getting pulled into a gang, being jumped. He, without shame, said he wasn’t a fighter. He’d lose a fight. But probably the biggest fear was separating from his family. They were always together.
In October 2015, Kyle’s trial for case 1 was a damn rocky one to say the least. Pima County Superior Court Judge Javier Chon-Lopez even prohibited the jury from researching the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (passed by voters in 2010), according to Kyle’s attorney Brick Storts, who also told me that he wasn’t allowed to mention the law throughout the defense, either. The MMJ Act was KEY in Kyle’s fate. It could have given that gray perspective.
Sadly, the juror unanimously found Kyle guilty of the three felonies in case 1. I remember watching one of the young women in the jury playing with her hair at some point. I thought, Kyle reminds me of my middle brother, David, 19. What if this were David?
Congratulations jury, you really made a difference in society by sending a healthy, nonviolent, work-eager young man to prison. I’m sure you all are sleeping through the night, enjoying your families and friends with the comfort of the eternally-taken-for-granted freedom. You’ve shattered a family that did not deserve it. It’s repugnant.
I sat there in court almost every day of Kyle’s trial in October, watching his father Marvin cry inconsolably. Other family members were there, too, as well as Kyle’s girlfriend and a handful of friends. After Kyle was found guilty, he looked back at his family, and was immediately taken into custody. His mom Suson couldn’t get the day off work, so Marvin called her to give her the news.
I don’t think there’s been a day I haven’t, even for a few seconds, thought about Kyle and his family. (My friends know all about Kyle and his family.) I have a few of them on Facebook, and can see when they post photos of birthday parties and other family activities—Kyle’s absence is beyond a void.
Before his case, I’ve never witnessed how this defective criminal system deals with nonviolent, first so-called “drug offenders.”
Trial for case 2 was suspended because Kyle and his brother Kalvin reached a plea deal. Kalvin is under probation but at least free to be his pregnant wife and beautiful two children.
In the upcoming months, Kyle has a clemency hearing. His appeal for case 1 was also granted.
His family is fighting with teeth and nails to free Kyle.
“I’m not sure of what else I can do. [Kyle] did not deserve any of this and the system has failed him beyond failure,” Suson wrote on Kyle’s Facebook last night. She called the facility’s warden to have Kyle moved into protective custody after his life was threatened. “I feel so hopeless. I don’t know what else I can do for my son.”
This article appears in Jun 16-22, 2016.
How about listing what all the charges are and what kind of priors he’s got. I’m kind of reading into this that Kyle has been in and out of jams all his life and it’s always someone else’s fault.
I did a quick public records/criminal records search and it seems like he got a speeding ticket at some point.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
Kyle grew up in a small town in Montana, He was a Cub Scout, Webelos, and a Boy Scout and a proud member of The Order of the Arrow an elite Scout Organization. In School he played Football, Baseball and Lettered in Choir. At age 17 he enlisted in the United States Navy pre enlistment program and When he Graduated from High School he Left for Boot Camp. after the Navy Kyle Joined NORML a Non-Profit Political Organization, as AZ4NORML Treasurer he attended many Legal Conferences on The AMMA. after two years of Negotiations with MPP the AMMA was set to be on the Ballot, Kyle Knew the AMMA in it’s entirety before it ever made the Ballot. He campaigned for the Vote of the Citizens and was in the news paper when it was announced that the AMMA had Passed by the Voters.
Please continue to send letters of character for
Kyle Leslie Catlin 307334
Arizona Board of Executive Clemency
1645 West Jefferson, Suite 101
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phone: (602) 542-5656
Fax: (602) 542-5680
This is the link to the information needed to write Letters to the Board. https://boec.az.gov/
Please call them to insure we are getting the Correct Information about Letters.
Hearing date has been changed to a later date allowing Citizen more time to show support for the Sentence Reduction of Kyle Leslie Catlin 307334.
Do a search, so you will be more informed about Kyle’s situation. https://corrections.az.gov/public-resource…
Kyle is asking for a 2 year sentence reduction. however My belief is a Full Pardon is more appropriate before anymore Bodily Injuries and Mental Harm occurs.
Please Like and Share this, so he can be FREE from the injustices that he has suffered.
#freekylecatlin
Call them and ask What a Letter should consist of, Who to send it to and when to send it.
Letters should be about Character and public”s shift towards Federal decriminalization.. Signed and Dated.
Thank You All for Your Help.
Please SHARE
How unfair is our system, at least un-thinking with compassion. The highest levels or this administration are criminals and perpetrating tyranny against American citizens and nohing will happen to them. Think of “fast and furious, Emails breaching all security laws ans regulations, not to mention common sense and what happens? The commoners get screwed while the political elite profit tremendously. May God be you judge.
“Congratulations jury, you really made a difference in society by sending a healthy, nonviolent, work-eager young man to prison. I’m sure you all are sleeping through the night, enjoying your families and friends with the comfort of the eternally-taken-for-granted freedom. You’ve shattered a family that did not deserve it. It’s repugnant.”
What an ignorant and offensive comment. As one who has sat on a jury (obviously you have not), we were tasked with determining guilty or not guilty on specific charges. There was no “freestyling” on the charges. We did not take our duties lightly and many of us asked questions during the trial. Unanimously the individual was found guilty, but the judge was also advised that we recommended punishment on the lighter end of the spectrum.
Blame his woes on shitty laws, lying cops and/or a screwed up justice system. Don’t blame the jury for doing their job as directed by the courts.
Kyle had to go into protective custody because a gang member threatened him for appealing his ticket for fighting, the guy who hit him was seen by a guard and it was on video. The Guard is the one who told the CO who hit Kyle and the Gang Members are the ones who told Kyle he better roll up for being a snitch. We all know Kyle would NEVER Snitch.
And blame some of these woes on jurors who are not educated about something called Jury Nullification. Don’t expect a judge to fill you in on that one. We the people as jurors have the right to reject unfair laws and charges. We can actually change laws by refusing to find people guilty, when this happens enough times laws are changed. Everyone needs to be informed about Jury Nullification, look it up, it takes seconds of your time.
Wise-Guy,
You failed the system as a juror. You should have taken the time to learn about your responsibilities as well as your rights as a juror. Jury nullification is the most powerful form of direct democracy we have a citizens and you were too ignorant to even know about it. Yes, Ignorant. Get off your high horse and take the time to educate yourself about some of the most basic aspects of our criminal justice system, especially if you are going to be in the position to ruin someones life because of ‘shitty laws, lying cops and a screwed up justice system’ (your words)
I think you are the guilty one now!
This can not keep happening. One is to think all entities here Catlin, gang member, investigator , prosecutor, courts, DOC, probation. All have or had a monetary interest cultivation in marijuana
Then the social costs the felony attachments the added costs to families for being poor. The increased enrollment in SNAP and ACCESS, Child Protection foster care.
I would like to know just what factor save the children has in all of this? It would seem with so much time monies and efforts we should not have a problem. Ever since 1970 we have been saving the children from this devastating peril. Just what are we saving the children from?
How about saving the children from BAD laws repeal 13-3401
UPDATE Kyle has a New Date July 25th 2016 8:30AM.
603L Executive Clemency Hearing.
Still need character reference letter”s.
Please send letter’s to
Arizona Board of Executive Clemency
1645 West Jefferson, Suite 101
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
This is the address for the hearing too.