ANATOMY OF A CRIMINAL INDICTMENT by Michael Keehn is both a true story and a guide for the individual under an indictment, what to expect, and what those under indictment can do to help themselves survive the indictment. The author was under indictment for three years and very proactive in his own defense. The author shares his experience with the reader who is seeking guidance in becoming proactive in his (or her) own defense. The book gives sufficient background information for the reader to follow and visualize the path the author traveled to indictment. In short, the author spent eight years of his life designing a never before existing control system for a public utility that resulted in an indictment. It is likely that your attorney will seldom communicate with you in the early stages, this is normal and will be explained. But it does not mean that you cannot communicate to him, and do so in a way that will have lasting impact. Being under an indictment and charged criminally is a very lonely world. You may well feel like a leper, alone and isolated from everyone. You may find yourself avoiding friends because you don't want to tarnish their character with your own foul coating. In the author's case, he was surprised to find so many in his community to be very supportive, many of them people he did not know, but who recognized him from his picture from the newspaper and stopped to speak with him and offer moral support. In the beginning there was an initial distrust between defendant and attorney that slowly builds into trust. And this process can be seen as the story unfolds. Therefore, expect to be distrusted unless you are paying the attorney. Even then you may be distrusted, however, it probably won't be as easily detected. It was the author's experience that there is tremendous stress the individual under indictment must endure, not allowing emotions to render him (or her) immobilized, and although your defense attorney will probably not help with this issue, this book can help with that. The author also gives the reader solid examples how to analyze the various documents filed by government investigators. Putting the investigative reports and affidavits under a microscope, and then constructing a report is very beneficial, and an example of this process is provided. Following the suggestions for analysis and report construction can be therapeutic. It helps to relieve tension when, with a critical eye, you begin to see the errors and oversight the investigators are making. The book may also be used by a family member or loved one who wishes to help someone under indictment. Included are elusive and hard to find legal documents as examples to provide self help guidance for the pro se / pro per litigant.
About the Author: The author of ANATOMY OF A CRIMINAL INDICTMENT grew up on a Quarter-Horse ranch in Anderson, California. During teen years, he worked hauling hay, in dairies, the livestock auction yard, rodeos, irrigating, and general labor. In 1965 he joined the Air Force and was trained in Electrical Power Production. After technical school, was assigned to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. There, he completed OJT (on the job training) and was sent on two temporary duty assignments, one to Vietnam and the other to Thailand. Returning from overseas, he was assigned to Holloman AFB. There he would be exposed to and learn refrigeration. After discharge, he received an Associates Degree in Electronics. Eventually he landed an Electrical Technician's job with the Power Division of Oroville Wyandotte Irrigation District (OWID, now South Feather Water & Power) in Oroville, California. He would work 16-years for OWID and with 4-years in military Electrical Power Production, he now had 20-years in Electrical Power. As the sole technician at OWID, he had considerable exposure to electrical control systems, communications, telemetry, two-way radios, power-line carriers, rural subscriber telephone, recording instrumentation, protective relaying, supervisory control, power house control, dam and reservoir control systems, and a host of other specialized equipment. This experience served to make him a good all around electrical-technician. In 1989 he applied for a job with the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, a Joint Powers Authority who operated and maintained two United States Bureau of Reclamation canals. During his tenure there, he volunteered to undertake development of full automated control of the Tehama-Colusa Canal, a 110-mile canal capable of moving 2,000 cfs (cubic feet of water per second). It was out of this development for which he volunteered to undertake, that resulted in a criminal indictment under Title 18, Part I, Chapter 47, Section 1030 (Fraud and related activity in connection with computers). He would be under indictment for three years before the charges were dismissed. During these three years he was very proactive in his own defense and learned a lot that an individual not previously exposed would know about. The defense attorney was functioning as a public defender in this case, and yet, after three years the charges were dismissed under a motion of the prosecution.