Please help this young man!

Please sign this petition?

I don't share often, and enjoy the posts that others do. I also appreciate the effort others put into posting. That being said, I implore you to read the following and help this young man.
He is a Veteran of the U.S. Navy, a college student, and a new father.
Please write the addresses EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN NEVADA. It will help. Justice was not served in this case.
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May 2nd, 2012

As some of you already know, I have been charged and convicted by a jury of “Battery Causing Substantial Bodily Harm” on April 26th of 2012 in Carson City, NV. To get to that, we have to go back to the morning of March 25th of 2011.
While out celebrating a close friend’s birthday, I was attacked by a man at a bar. He and I were in a conversation about or time in the military, when out of nowhere he got into my face with my back against the bar and told me he was going to kill me. At that moment I had little time to react and smashed a glass against his face. After I hit him, I left the bar and was rushed home by my brother who thought it would be a good idea to leave. I was in a state of Shock. At that point in my life I had never personally harmed anyone, nor had my life felt in more jeopardy than it did at that moment.
I went home and told my girlfriend what had happened. Soon after, the Carson City Sheriff’s department came to my apartment. The deputy asked me if I was in a fight at the bar, I told him yes. He proceeded to read me my rights and put me in hand cuffs. I was taken to jail and held on bail for the weekend.
At the time I was full time in school, had a full time job and had a baby due within the month. Before all of this happened I had never been involved with this type of a situation. No one has ever threatened my life in such a way that I felt the need to use such extreme means to protect myself from potential harm.
I didn’t know the extent of his injuries until I went to jail. I was concerned for my life.
While in trial he testified that he was turning to leave and never threatened me. This fact is not true. I didn’t punch him straight into the side of his face as he turned away; I smashed it against his face, as you would in a right hook. He was standing directly in front of me. He lied.
I know this has brought some shame on some in our community, I am sorry for that. It was never my intention to have this as a front page headline, putting an unfavorable name to our way of life. I know the injuries were extreme, and if I would have had the time to react in a better way, I would have. But the fact of the matter is he said he was going to kill me and I had nowhere to go.
I am innocent and should not be treated like this for defending my life.
I am in no way saying the jury did a bad job in making their decision, they were just swayed by the testimonies of the injuries and hidden from the fact that it is still my right to defend myself if I am faced with a life threatening situation.
If you do not believe me, than that is fine, but if there is any glimmer of hope left in this world, then you need to see that this is an unfair verdict. Humans need to survive, we always have. I am not a criminal. If you ask anybody that knows me they will tell you the same. If I am unable to survive with whatever means available, then what do I have? Who gets to tell us when we are going to die?
I for one am not ashamed of what I did. I am not upset that the man survived.
I am upset that I am being treated unfairly in a system that is supposed to be based on the fundamental reasons for being here, to live, to survive, and to leave this world knowing that our children will be able to do the same.
On July 2nd, 2012, two days before Independence Day, I am to be sentenced to upwards of five years in prison. For doing what is completely natural to all of us.
I am asking everyone that this reaches, help me fight for our inherent human rights.
There are plenty of ways you can do this.
The most crucial, be at the Carson City Courthouse in Carson City, NV on July 2nd, 2012 At 9 am. The more people that care about the right to protect life, the more of a chance we can fight this at its source.
You can write or call:
1. Carson City Courthouse
District Court I -- Judge James T. Russell
Public Safety Complex/885 East Musser
Carson City, NV 89701
775.882-1996
JRussell@Carson.org
2. Board of Supervisors
City Hall/201 N. Carson Street, Suite 2
Carson City, NV 89701
775.887.2100
3. District Attorney -- Neil A. Rombardo
Public Safety Complex/885 East Musser
Carson City, NV 89701
775.887.2070

You can also contact your local elected officials and urge them to react to this case in time.

Please support me in preserving the one thing that we all need to survive.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christopher Keith Lash
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