Hucky

In the interest of privacy, I have left out the names of the parties or the organization involved in this story.

In the summer of 2006, my partner and I took on a new client; a prosecuting attorney.

She had been hired by the government, to serve as outside counsel in a trial incriminating the leader of one of the world’s largest white supremacist organizations. The trial had been ongoing for almost a year with no major interruptions, when this attorney began getting death threats at home and on internet message boards. She was even followed home from one of the hearings. My partner and I were called upon to accompany her for the final day of the trial.

With a surveillance team placed outside the courthouse, our duties were simply to provide transportation to the trial, escort our client into the courtroom, take a seat close by, and to not let her out of our sight. Pretty basic. However, at the last minute, the trial was opened to the public. Nearly 100 white supremacist supporters and fellow members of this “brotherhood” decided to show their support for the man on trial by coming into the courthouse. This was a very different scenario from the one we’d anticipated when we took this prosecuting attorney on as our client!

Most bodyguards make sure they are noticed, using their size to intimidate any would-be trouble makers. Thanks to my bald, shaved head, in this crowd of white supremacists, I went undetected as a bodyguard, and I intended to keep it that way.

As the morning proceedings began, I glanced around the room to assess my surroundings. The majority of the crowd was taking a genuine interest in the trial, with the exception of one man, who seemed to be staring at my client. He looked almost hypnotized, he was staring so hard and continuously. I was not too concerned about him being in possession of any weapons, since there had been extensive screening and searches prior to admitting anyone into the courthouse.

But I was concerned about a physical attack or the use of an object already in the room as a weapon. There are always those individuals who take the leap of faith over the small barrier to attack a defendant or lawyer, so I was on the alert. The first half of the final day of the trial came to a close, and the court was recessed for a 30 minute break. My client retreated to the prosecutor’s chambers; a small room only accessible by a small door in plain sight. Nearly all of the crowd filed out of the courtroom to the common area to get refreshments, use the phone, restrooms, etc. I asked my partner to sit tight in the courtroom, while I go out to mingle with the crowd in the common area.

[Read more…] about True Bodyguard Stories #4 Making Friends With the Enemy