A Goolsby "War Story:" The Case of the Mysterious Purse

Have you ever been in a situation in which you sensed danger and realized you needed to think fast in order to escape it? Consider the following fact-based "war story" from my days as a federal prosecutor.

I will never forget how tired I felt that afternoon. I was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Augusta, Georgia. Several months earlier, I had fought for the opportunity to handle the prosecution of a major healthcare fraud case. This was a major white collar criminal case --a career-making case -- which had made the news headlines nearly every day. Ever since my assignment, I had been working hard, seven days a week.

On this particular afternoon, I was sitting at my desk and reviewing some boring F.B.I. 302s, (investigative reports of witness interviews). The U.S. Attorney's Office receptionist buzzed and told me that a lady, a Ms. Johnson, was up front, waiting in the reception area. The receptionist didn't know exactly who this visitor was or why she was there to see me.

When I opened the door which divided the inner offices from the reception area, I immediately saw a middle aged woman who was neatly dressed. I still had no idea who she was. I also quickly noticed that she seemed emotionally distraught and that, oddly, she had one of her hands inside her purse.

I introduced myself to her and asked if I could help her. She proceeded to tell me that her name was Irene Johnson. She added that she was the wife of Jim Johnson. I also noticed that she continued to fumble with her purse -- nervously opening and closing it as she talked.

Immediately, I realized who she was. I had learned from my case agent that her husband had just been fired by the big healthcare company which was the target of my federal grand jury investigation. According to the local newspaper, Mr. Johnson, her husband, had confronted his boss about alleged wrongdoing at the company. As a result, the boss had just given her husband the ax. 

Even though I was not the guilty party who had fired her husband, I soon realized that this lady, as she continued to ramble and vent her anger, somehow blamed me, and our federal investigation, for their predicament.

And again, I watched as she kept fumbling with her purse, and kept putting one hand in it, as she continued to ramble on and on about how I didn't realize the damage I had caused her family.

Then, I started getting a little nervous. I was unsure what to do. Now, this woman was getting all worked up and chewing me out! And I had an errie feeling, and a sense of danger, but, still, I couldn't be sure about what I faced. Naturally, I couldn't see what was in her purse, but, just as naturally, I feared she had a pistol in it. To this day, I truly believe that she had a gun and that she was undecided about whether or not to use it. Maybe, I believe, she simply wanted to speak her peace before she took her revenge against me.

I quickly considered my options. I calculated that it would be difficult for me to attempt to tackle her, from across the room, before she snatched out her gun and shot me. But still, that seemed like one good option. However, on the other hand, I still just couldn't be sure she even had a weapon. I certainly didn't want to face the embarrassing prospect of taking down an innocent person who was simply reaching in her purse for a tissue! How would that look in the local newspaper? Nevertheless, I knew I needed to do something quick. I was in a situation in which I sensed that I needed to think and act fast, or possibly face dire consequences!

So, rather than tackling her, I decided to try a different approach. I chose to put on my best preacher's son's hat. In short, I elected to try to talk with her and show her some compassion. I proceeded to let her know how sorry I was about her predicament and, then, I told her that I would pray for her and her family.

That's what did it. That's what worked! I believe that when she saw that I was not a cold government prosecutor, but simply a nice young man doing his job, it melted her resolve to do what, (if anything), she might have been contemplating. But I don't want to overstate things. I didn't completely disarm her with my charm! Ms. Johnson did not smile at me, nor did she offer any apology. She seemed confused. Without a parting word, but after hearing I would pray for her, the flummoxed Ms. Johnson simply closed her purse, turned, and left.

Did she really have a gun? Did she really intend me harm? I will never know for sure. But I do know that, sometimes, when you sense danger, you had better think and act fast in order to escape!

And yes, I did pray for her. But you'd better believe that I never again entered the reception area of the U.S. Attorney's Office without first knowing who was waiting there and exactly what they were toting!  

A Goolsby "War Story:" The Most Interesting Kickbacks Ever!

Presently, I am a criminal defense lawyer in Augusta, Georgia. As a former federal prosecutor for over 20 years, I prosecuted all kinds of white collar crime cases, including every kind of fraud and public corruption one can imagine! One of the interesting aspects of many of the fraud cases which I prosecuted involved the types of kickbacks which were paid, either to crooked government officials, or to employees who failed to give their employers their "honest services."

The latter category gave me an idea for a series of blog posts. In short, on occasion, I want to give you some examples of the most interesting kickbacks I have seen, as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney. Here goes....

In one major mail fraud case I prosecuted, among other expensive kickback gifts, the owner of a construction company bought two new Corvettes, (of different colors, of course), and a new Dodge Viper, for the employee of another company who approved payment of his invoices! 

Most folks would be content simply to have one sports car!  Don't you agree?

A Goolsby "War Story" About Heroism, Fear, and Fighting Crooked Cops

[Although the following "war story" draws upon my personal experiences, please view it as a fictional account, and please also remember that all people, including alleged crooked cops, are presumed innocent until proven guilty!]

I learned many years ago that heroes don't exist at three o'clock in the morning. That night, I certainly didn't feel like a hero. I was at home. I was alone. And I was downright scared -- for me, and for my wife, who was eight months pregnant with our first child. She was asleep in the next room.

I was a young, aggressive, but naive, prosecutor with a cause. I wanted to save the world, shake some trees, and lock up all the bad guys. A fellow Assistant D.A. and I were investigating one of our local sheriffs. And the sheriff knew about our investigation. Among other allegations, a major drug dealer had named the sheriff as an accomplice who had allegedly provided guns to protect a drug deal. The sheriff denied the allegations.

I could tolerate the harassment by the sheriff and his deputies. One of the deputies followed me to court whenever I entered that county. Another would playfully frisk me in the courtroom. And they all gave me their best, most menacing, "go to Hades" glares. I could handle all that.

But earlier, that afternoon, my secretary had received a threatening, anonymous telephone call. The unknown caller had simply said, "Tell Mr. Goolsby I'm gonna come to his house tonight and blow his f_ _ king head off!" Now, that was hard to handle!

I will never forget that long, lonely night! As I sat in my recliner, with my .38 special nearby, I remember wondering whether the cause was really worth it. I would never give up the fight. But I had learned that fighting corruption often comes with costs. 

I had also learned that heroes don't exist at three o'clock in the morning.

A Goolsby "War Story:" Whose Side Am I On?

As you probably know, I am a former Georgia state and federal prosecutor.  I left the U.S. Attorney's Office several years ago, after a 20 year career, to go into private practice, when my oldest son graduated from law school.  Now, I am an Augusta, Georgia criminal defense attorney!  While it has been a major change, I wanted the chance to work with my son.  I am also happy to report that my second son will graduate from law school and join us here in several months!  And I am equally delighted that our third son will join us at the Goolsby Law Firm when he graduates from law school in a couple of years!  The Goolsby Law Firm will be composed of a father and three sons!  We will truly be a family law firm!

But that is not the point of this post!  The point I wanted to make involves the fact that lawyers often face challenges when they "switch sides."  One of my fears is revealed by a true "war story" told about a local criminal defense lawyer.  Like me, he had been a prosecutor for most of his career and then had switched to the "dark side!"  Soon, after entering private practice, the old prosecutor was defending a man accused of armed robbery.  Everything went fine during the trial, until closing argument.  Then, before he could catch himself, out of habit, the former D.A. urged the jury to "return a GUILTY verdict!"  Can you imagine his embarrassment?  Can you imagine how his client felt?

As a criminal defense lawyer, (and former federal prosecutor), I hope and pray that, if I keep telling and re-telling this story, then maybe it will never happen to me!