Dawn Wilson Can't Stop Smiling
December 17 - Ensenada, Mexico
We spoke with Dawn Wilson on Wednesday
night. Having only been out from behind bars after nearly 20
months in Mexican prisons and U.S. jails, she was understandably
very happy - but a bit overwhelmed. You can imagine what a shock
it was for her when Terry Kennedy took her to Wal-Mart and West
Marine. She couldn't believe all the stuff. "I just can't
stop smiling!" she says about her freedom.
As for future plans, Wilson and Kennedy
hope to return to living on boats in Baja after her U.S. probation
is over in six months. But Wilson also says she intends to return
to the Mexican prison in Ensenada. "I made a lot of friends
there, and they need a lot of help."
As for what really happened - where in
Ensenada Wilson was arrested, under what circumstances, what
drugs she had in her possession, what state of mind she was in,
and who used her debit cards to the tune of over $4,000 - remains
hotly disputed. One of Wilson's lawyers claims the 49-year-old
was arrested on the street because the police liked the way she
looked and for a shakedown. But she also later admitted that
she'd bought prescription medicines for her seizures and other
medicine for her ex-husband.
But Mexican court documents tell a very
different story. They say Wilson was not arrested on the street,
but for being engaged in an illegal activity, and at the time
was in possession of over 400 pills, including "psicotropicos
denominados diazepam, alpraxolam, clorenzorex y los estupefacientes
dextropropoxifeno y fentermina" - which, of course,
are the Mexican names. 'Psicotropicos' refers to a category
of medications such as Valium and Darvon, which are highly regulated
in Mexico because they are popular with drug addicts. None of
the drugs which Wilson was listed as having could have been used
to treat seizures or her ex-husband's diabetes. In fact, pharmacists
in Mexico say those medicines are not regulated in Mexico anyway,
and so she couldn't have been arrested for having them in her
possession.
We've spoken to a number of reporters from
big media outlets who have followed Wilson's case. Off the record,
all of them agree that Wilson didn't deserve a five-year prison
sentence, even if guilty as charged. In the U.S., she would have
received less than a six-month sentence. But when it comes to
the details of Wilson's story, there was mild to very high skepticism.
As for us, we're just glad that Dawn's
out of jail, and wish her the best for the future.
Of interest to everyone who goes to Mexico,
David Stewart, consul general in Tijuana, told Anna Cearly of
the San Diego Union-Tribune in a December 15 story about
the limitations of their power. Stewart explained that many Americans
wrongly assume the consul can provide a get-out-of-jail-free
card, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Stewart told
Cearly, that "the consulate can't get anyone released, but
its officers can visit the prisoner, provide a list of attorneys,
protest to the authorities any alleged mistreatment, communicate
with family and friends and provide dietary supplements."
Kennedy and Wilson have criticized the
lack of support by the U.S. Consulate. But Stewart told Cearly
that consular officials visited Wilson seven times during her
stay in Mexican prisons.
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