Israel can't go back to Rainbow Valley, the 42 acres on the Black River where he lived for 14 years and held the communal celebrations that made him famous. In October, Israel pleaded guilty to three felony counts involving marijuana, LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. In exchange, prosecutors dropped more serious charges. What happens to the land will be decided by the courts. Israel signed away any rights to Rainbow Valley last fall but later claimed he didn't own it.
Prosecutors say the land trust Israel formed was a sham to hide the land from authorities.
Arguments about who owns the property will be heard during a trial this fall. He's basically a peace-loving guy. He's been absolutely no problem. Being in jail taught him about problems in the jail system he never knew existed, Israel said. The man who claims he was framed by police said he won't forget the many men whose sentences seemed too extreme for their crimes.