We, the Undersigned concerned citizens, urge Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams to vacate former Dr. Gordon Piland's opioid trafficking conviction, and allow him to enter a cannabis-related probation-only guilty plea, as originally offered prior to his pro se trial where he attempted to represent himself but was not competent to do so. The current mandatory minimum sentence of 18-24 years, a virtual life sentence for the 70-year-old, is not based in fact, law or reason, nor was the result of a fair trial. Opioid Trafficking was charged to force a plea bargain, not based on any evidence of actual trafficking (an expired pill bottle of a deceased family member). Gordon is innocent of this charge and has been wrongfully convicted. We respectfully ask that the conviction be vacated now, in the interest of justice, without having to wait for relief on appeal.
Respectfully Yours: