Your article about Scientology's PIs trailing Jesse Prince ("Church critic trailed, arrested") raises some important questions:

Is hiring private investigators to trail an individual "virtually every day for at least four months" an appropriate use of tax-exempt money?

Given Prince's status as a witness in the Lisa McPherson case, does it constitute tampering with or intimidating a witness?

The story reveals that the Prince drug case involves Scientology, an organization that previously framed critics for crimes they didn't commit, including the former mayor of Clearwater. Does this discredit the key witnesses (the paid PIs) in the drug trial?

Finally, is a trial over a single marijuana plant (that may have been planted on Prince's porch by others), a trial which results from Scientology's invasive and deceptive investigation into the life of a private individual, a good use of the taxpayer's money?

Kristi Wachter
San Francisco
www.scientology-lies.com

The Chron did not run my letter.