The Goolsby Law Firm, LLC: Meet the Lawyers!

As you may know, we are the Goolsby Law Firm, LLC, which is composed of father and son attorneys who enjoy practicing law together in Augusta, Georgia. But we also enjoy having fun together, as shown in the top photograph of me and my three sons on a recent hiking trip in the Georgia mountains! The second photo shows my second son, Blake, following his recent swearing in at the Augusta courthouse! I feel very blessed to get to practice law with my sons, and to share good, practical tips and information in this blog for you to discuss with your own criminal lawyer!

Droning On About Drones and Privacy Invasion

Drone Picture from telegraph.co.uk]

Much has been discussed and written about lately about the propriety of using armed drones to kill terrorists abroad. But here, in this blog, that will remain a discussion for a later day.

Here, today, I want to rant some more about the growing, unregulated use of drones by law enforcement agencies for surveillance in this country. In my opinion, not enough is being discussed or written about this  potentially dangerous practice.

Look, I am no "bleeding heart." I have always been a strong supporter of law enforcement. Even though, presently, I may be an Augusta, Georgia criminal defense lawyer, I am a former career (state and federal) prosecutor. And as a law-abiding citizen, I want the police to be able to do their jobs. 

But no matter who you are, and no matter what your political philosophy, in my opinion, we should all be concerned by the prospect of unregulated police agencies using unmanned aerial vehicles to spy on any and all American citizens. While some may say that only the criminals have anything to worry about, in my opinion, all of us, as free citizens, should question any unregulated government intrusion into our private matters. Moreover, in my opinion, unregulated police surveillance is subject to abuse, including by following  political opponents, or for stifling political dissent.

I am not suggesting that all drone usage should be prohibited; instead, I am simply advocating for further legislative discussion and some carefully considered regulations to prevent police over-reaching and abuse.

I am heartened to read that, just last week, the Charlottesville, Virginia City Council passed a resolution calling for Congress to regulate police use of drones in this country, including by forbidding the introduction of evidence obtained by drones in any criminal case. While this resolution may be merely symbolic, at least it may help encourage further discussion about this important topic around the country.

What do you think? Should the police be able to use drones to watch citizens and gather intelligence without a warrant? Do you agree that at least there should be some discussion and oversight?

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Indicted on Bribery and Kickback Charges

[Photo of Former Mayor Ray Nagin from wikipedia]

Did you hear the news? According to various news reports, former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was reportedly indicted today by a federal grand jury for allegedly using his former office for private gain. 

According to the reports, the federal charges include, among other things, $160,000 in bribes to Nagin and truckloads of granite for his private business in exchange for allegedly giving millions of dollars in city contracts -- post Hurricane Katrina -- to certain "preferred" businessmen. 

As a former federal prosecutor, and, currently, as an Augusta, GA criminal defense lawyer, I have seen this type of "mutual back-scratching" deal occur over and over. The names may change, but the white collar crimes stay the same!

Of course, an indictment is not evidence and the former mayor will be entitled to his day in court. It will be interesting to see what happens! What do you think?

A New Melissa McCarthy Movie About Identity Theft!

[Identity Thief movie poster depiction from wikipedia]

Look, just because we are Augusta, Georgia criminal lawyers, and just because I am a former federal prosecutor, it doesn't mean that we don't like to get out sometimes and have some fun, too! And if the fun somehow relates to our work, then that is fine, too!

I plan to have fun on February 8th by attending the premiere of the new comedy movie Identity Thief. The movie stars actors Jason Bateman and Molly McCarthy. I am a big fan of both of these actors, especially Ms. McCarthy. You will recall that Ms. McCarthy, who currently stars in the t.v. series Mike & Molly, stole the show in the movie Bridesmaids. According to previews, in this new flick, Ms. McCarthy's character steals the identity of Bateman's character and he is out to get her!

Although identity theft -- which is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States -- is no laughing matter, here's hoping that this new movie about this nefarious type of white collar crime will be entertaining! What do you think? 

Drones v. Right to Privacy

Drone depiction from telegraph.co.uk]

We have all seen how the U.S. military has spied upon terrorists and "brought to justice" many of them in hot spots around the world. But this post does not involve such uses of drones to nail terrorists overseas.

Instead, I want to talk to you about the trend toward widespread usage of drones by law enforcement in the United States. According to various news reports, there will be about 30,000 drones in use in this country by the year 2020. Also, according to a recent survey by the Associated Press and The National Constitution Center, 44% of Americans actually support the idea of police using drones to track and catch criminals. Only 36% reportedly opposed it, according to the survey.

I don't know about you, but as a free citizen in a democratic society, I am alarmed about this trend involving unregulated usage of drones to watch us and about popular opinion in support of it. While I am very supportive of law enforcement using all legitimate tools to catch the "bad guys," (after all, while I presently may be an Augusta, GA criminal defense lawyer, I was a federal prosecutor for over 20 years), I am worried about "Big Brother" abusing this tool to stifle dissent and otherwise to step on our Constitution!

What do you think?

Identity Fraud: Georgia's Fastest Growing Crime

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other news reports, reported cases of identity fraud and theft are sky-rocketing in the State of Georgia, and elsewhere.  For instance, according to reports, the number of reported identity fraud cases doubled in Fulton and Cobb Counties during the past year alone.

As a former federal prosecutor, (currently, I am an Augusta, GA criminal defense lawyer with my sons), I tried to make identity fraud a prosecutorial priority. Also, although I was unable to get my bosses to follow though, as a former AUSA, I had also advocated the establishment of an identity theft  task force.  Fortunately, in federal court, penalties are serious enough to "get the attention" of identity thieves. However, on the state level, identity thieves often receive probationary sentences, at least for their first offenses.

Another problem with combating identity theft and fraud also exists in the State of Georgia. It involves law enforcement budget problems. I'll bet you didn't know that, just a couple of years ago, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, (GBI), was forced to eliminate its identity fraud unit, following state budgetary cutbacks.

As a result, sadly, just when the identity fraud rate is escalating across this state, Georgia law enforcement has been rendered less capable of dealing with it.  What do you think should be done?

How Do You Find A Good, Experienced Criminal Lawyer?

In this blog about white collar crime, we generally try to give you good, interesting information about various hot topics in criminal law.  I also try, from time to time, to entertain you with some of my "war stories" from the court room. But we also try to give you some practical ideas and information about our criminal justice system for you to discuss with your own criminal lawyer.

Today, I want to focus on that last category -- and a topic which has become a pet peeve for me.  The topic is: How do you find a good, experienced criminal defense lawyer? Put another way, if you are in trouble with the law, should you simply call around and find the dirt cheapest lawyer out there!? That part is the part which bothers me!

As Augusta, Georgia criminal lawyers, (including over 26 years as a former state and federal prosecutor), every single day, we receive telephone calls and email inquiries from people all over Georgia who are looking for a criminal defense attorney. And sometimes, it seems that all some callers care about, (even if they have money), is hiring the cheapest criminal lawyer they can find. In my opinion, as a trial attorney who has seen both the best and the worst which the bar has to offer, that is a lousy approach!

Here are a few suggestions about finding the best criminal lawyer for your criminal case. First of all, we recommend that you talk with family and friends about their recommendations. Did Lawyer Smith really get Uncle Clem out of trouble? 

We also suggest that you actually make appointments and meet with several prospective attorneys. And ask them good, tough questions about their experience, including how many criminal cases, and what kind of criminal cases, they have tried. But that is just a start. The point is that, when your life and freedom are on the line, you should do your research and focus on finding the best, most experienced criminal lawyer -- and not just the cheapest lawyer -- which you can afford! 

Trust me, all criminal lawyers, just like all plumbers, barbers, or doctors, are NOT just alike. Many are experienced and competent; others are not. So, do your research. But please, please, please don't simply look for the cheapest lawyer you can find!