On Friday, March 6th of 2009, Keith Lawrence was arrested at gunpoint and charged with 1st Degree Sale of a Schedule I narcotic, as well as a 3rd Degree possession. Mr. Lawrence was released on $50,000 cash bond on the evening of Sunday, March 8th. The recommended sentence for this crime is 4 years of incarceration. We, the signers of this petition, request that the court grant Keith Lawrence an extended period of probation with conditions instead of a jail or prison sentence. We agree that it would be counterproductive to the State of Minnesota to use tax dollars on incarceration and restrict the education of Keith Lawrence. An extended period of probation would allow Keith Lawrence to continue his education at the University of Minnesota and would not pose any risk whatsoever to his neighbors and peers. The signers, as named below, request that the Court take this petition into consideration when Keith Lawrence is sentenced in the coming months.