Dr. James Privitera
[back] Laetrile

"...In July 1974 About 15 agents (of Cal. Food and Drug) arrested me on the charge of selling Laetrile and other substances in the diagnosis, cure and alleviation of cancer. In Citrus Municipal Court, West Covina, on Feb 3, 1975, Judge Sam Cianchetti declared this statute unconstitutional. On Oct. 1974, I received a phone call from ...police at 1 (AM, Saturday morning) and he told me that my office was broken into. I went down to my office ...and 2 agents arrest(ed) me on a felony charge - conspiracy ...The law states that before you are even arrested, they must give you a hearing (Cal. Health Code 1707.4) (Another) judge denied this motion for a ...hearing and he gave no reason." - Dr. James Privitera; Roswell Park Memorial Institute,; Scripps Clinic; "The Nutritional Battle."

"...testifying for Dr. Privitera...To these 19 cancer victims, the enforcement of (California) Health and Safety Code Sect. 1701.1, the denial of them medical treatment, albeit unorthodox, albeit unapproved by a state agency, must surely take on a Kafka-esque, a nightmare quality.  No demonstrated public anger, no compelling interest of the state warrants an Orwellian intrusion into the most private of zones of privacy." - California Supreme Court Chief Justice, Rose Bird, dissenting opinion. 

"In 1964 (we) conduct(ed) an intensive investigation of Laetrile...conclud(ing) that there was no justification for making (it) illegal...Yet, 16 years after... , doctors are still being jailed for (it).  Dr. James Privatera,... was recently released from 55 days...much of it doing hard labor...on a road gang...If he were solely interested in making money, as he points out, there is a great deal more to be made from traditional cancer treatments, than by use of Laetrile." - Santa Ana, The Register, April 13, 1980.