Help Save Sam

My name is Beth Amonette, a single mother, and I am writing to try to save my son Sam from a nightmare sentence.

Sam was the sensitive one. He was the middle child. He had to endure a lot for such a tiny boy. The loss of his father was what set all his problems in motion. Sam started using alcohol to self medicate. After years of off and on substance abuse, Sam finally received the right kind of help. The picture you see here is of Sam receiving his Drug Court Completion papers in Hawaii where we lived. You can see Tulsi Gabbard, our US Congress Woman at the time, standing next to him smiling as he graduated from this excellent, effective program. Sam then attended AA, became a speaker, and was a big help to people in the program as well as immediately returning to school. He was top in his class, tutored all subjects and was in high demand. He earned his degree in Electrical Engineering. Then something happened in his life with which he seemed to not be able to cope. He had a relapse. We moved from Hawaii to Texas where a workman at my house gave him a very strong and terrible substance. Sam became addicted and later was out of touch with reality, was incapacitated and unable to distinguish the truth from fiction. This went on for months, all the while I tried to get him help. He was arrested after a terrible incident in which he thought I was not his mother but that I had killed his mother and taken her place. The neighbors called the police. I knew Sam was hallucinating and not responsible for himself. I did not press any charges. Later I was asked by the prosecutors office not to get involved with Sam’s case because they were going to get him help. Sam signed papers and accepted what they deemed as a helpful as well as signing away his rights for a trial by jury. The court appointed lawyer told me in court that the place they were sending him would not help him. I could see this place did not seem to be particularly beneficial for him. He returned to my house after about 14 months and later relapsed again. Sam went with honesty to his probation officer and told him he had relapsed. He was arrested again on the spot which has caused him to loose his probation and face an unheard of sentence.

Sam wants desperately to go to treatment. His only real desire is to be a loving son and brother, friend, a successful engineer, and return to his former productive life. I know, as his mother, he is serious about succeeding and that he can succeed. I know he will again become an AA Leader and an inspiration to others as he had once been.

If I do not continue with this effort, Sam could be put away for longer than I have left to live. The State of Texas treats substance abuse problems (and the things people do while having a substance induced psychosis) very differently than the State of Hawaii. Our prosecution where we live is extremely hard on these cases. The sentence they desire is more in line with that of a capital crime not a mind-altered episode which was the case. I’ve spent all I had on court costs and attorneys fees, but I need more right away for an expert witness, legal fees and a good treatment center. Unfortunately we are on a tight schedule.

I’ve been a single mother since 1987. I have no one to help me.

I pray you can help us because we love Sam. We know he is so worth the effort, he is a good and sweet person, highly intelligent and anxious to get his life in order. Naturally we do not want his life to be thrown away.

Thank you so much for reading this explanation and thank you for any help you can provide. And please send this page to anyone you know who can understand how incredibly horrifying this experience is for Sam’s brothers, Evans and Jack, and of course, Sam and for me!