I just received a bit of mail asking about the Zimmermann Legal Defense Fund, which, like many folks out there, I support. The writer implied that he might give money because I suggest it in my sig, but expressed questions about its legitamacy, and questioned if it's "just someone trying to exploit the Zimmerman case"

Could someone in the know talk about the relationship between FV and the ZLDF? I don't like to spread misinformation, so I won't answer based on conjectures.

I had similar concerns last month, so I emailed the following to csn.net!dubois ("Philip L. Dubois")

Could you please inform me of the financial status of the fund raising for the Phil Zimmerman case? How much money has been collected, and how much has been spent, and what are the future anticipated expenses? I might like to contribute, but "a normally unreliable source" has claimed to me that something on the order of $50,000 has been spent, and there is not even an indictment yet. Is this true and is this reasonable? Is it true that some/all of his legal services are being done "pro bono" (I hope I got that phrase correct, maybe I should just say "for free")

If you choose to reply, may I have permission to make your reply public?

Rick F. Hoselton (who doesn't claim to present opinions for others)

I got back the following reply:

Mr. Hoselton--

Since the government has not yet decided whether to indict Mr. Zimmermann, or at least hasn't >told us its decision if it has made one, we continue to accept donations to the Zimmermann >Legal Defense Fund. I've never added up

the total amount of all donations to date, but I >doubt that it would be in the neighborhood of $50,000. I can tell you that several lawyers >have been working on the case and that all of them but me have done so pro bono, which means >that they have not been paid. Since I have been lead counsel and have therefore had primary >responsibility for the defense, I have not been pro bono, at least not entirely; I have not >billed for much of my time. We have no way of knowing how long this case will go on. The >government could tell us today that it won't indict, in which case it will be all over, or it

could indict very soon, or it could do nothing until June of 1996 when the statute of >limitations expires.

You have my permission to make my reply public.

Philip L. Dubois Counsel for Philip Zimmermann

Rick F. Hoselton (who doesn't claim to present opinions for others)