DeFede

Burke's Legacy, for the Record

A A A Comments By Jim DeFede Thursday, Aug 26 1999

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With the FBI surveillance cameras and microphones running, Gary assures him the place is regularly swept for bugs.

Hardemon then acknowledges that he has "a gentleman's agreement" with Grigsby to get paid after the deal goes through.

An FBI surveillance tape shows former County Commissioner James Burke (right) pocketing $5000 from Howard Gary

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For Burke's defense attorney, Ed Shohat, the climb is all uphill, over a mountain of incriminating tapes. His only hope is to convince the jury that Gary somehow tricked Burke into appearing to agree to this scheme. As far as the money that exchanged hands, Shohat will try to show it was a loan between friends, the type of exchange that Gary and Burke had conducted in the past.

It's impossible to tell if Burke fully realizes just how dire his situation is. During breaks in the trial, he laughs and smiles with supporters, expressing confidence in his eventual acquittal. And perhaps he believes it. Perhaps in his mind, having come so far in his life, nothing as terrible as a guilty verdict could possibly happen to a noble son of Waycross, Georgia. Especially not now, and certainly not here.

Not in such a wonderful country.

RELATED STORIES By Jim DeFede

"Grigsby in Defense of Grigsby," December 3, 1998

"Howard Gary Sings," October 22, 1998

"Stealth Indictment," May 21, 1998

"Witness Hampering," January 29, 1998

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