The Return of Jim Brown
Monday, December 27, 2004
Christopher Tidmore
The Louisiana Weekly
Phoenix-like, the recently imprisoned former Louisiana secretary of state and insurance commissioner has once more made himself a player in the Louisiana political world.
His weekly column on politicsla.com has become required reading for the politically interested and politically active in the Pelican State. His schedule of press appearances shows evidence of his cache with the media. He sits for a radio interview in Shreveport one day, a TV program in New Orleans the next, and a book signing in Lafayette on the third.
The reason is not just his new career as a pundit, though his opinions on the Democrats' recent losing streak are in demand. His new book, Justice Denied, has made for a thrilling day-by-day account of the now-sensational trial that denied Brown access to the evidence against him and ultimately sent him to what he describes as "a six-month vacation at Oakdale Penitentiary."
The book is not limited to the events of the trial and its aftermath. It tells of Brown's uphill re-election campaign against Republican Alan Boudreaux in the middle of an indictment and the journal-like entries with insight into Louisiana's political climate. There are also remembrances of governors as different as Jimmy Davis, Dave Treen and Edwin Edwards.
In the preface, Brown is unapologetic. He calls it his "account of the six-year struggle I faced in opposing the federal government's effort to unjustly convict me of false criminal charges."
Honeycombed with stories from his almost 40-year career in politics, Brown calls Justice Denied "neither an autobiography nor a comprehensive history of my public life."
As he explains, "It is more of a personal narrative; thoughts I recorded each day as events unfolded. I talk about how my family and I responded to the pressures of the false charges; how an incumbent public official could be re-elected after he was blindsided by a 56-count indictment just a few weeks before the election; what I went through in building the Louisiana Insurance Department virtually from scratch, and why insurance companies worldwide have been attracted to Louisiana. I also talk about the trial itself, and the devastating effect it had on my family and me. I discuss the aftermath of the trial, including the appeals process, and the massive commitment of time and money I made, trying to keep from going to jail while hoping to win my appeal."
Justice Denied grew from Brown's journal entries, which can be seen by one of the minute-by-minute telling of one of the first passages in the book. "Friday, September 24, 1999, Baton Rouge. Louisiana...The call came in around 10:30 a.m. from Brad Myers, a contract attorney for the insurance department."
"'Jim, I'm over at the federal courthouse, and I have bad news. You were just indicted. Fifty-six counts.'"
"I sat there stunned, in my office chair staring blankly at the wall. At first, the full impact didn't register. Then it started to sink in. 'Tell me what you know, Brad. What am I charged with?'"
"He quickly summarized a series of allegations that included conspiracy, insurance fraud, witness tampering, and making false statements to federal officials, all related to Cascade Insurance Company."
"'You've got to be kidding!' I protested. 'The biggest crook in America doesn't get 56 counts. What on earth are they trying to do to me?'"
"'I'm getting a copy of the charges now," Brad said. "It's massive, 47 pages. I'll try to have it over to you in the next hour.'"
"The election date for insurance commissioner was only a month away. Brad is a former federal prosecutor, so I felt he would know.
"'Have you ever heard of a statewide elected official being charged like this right before an election?' I asked."
"'Never,' said Brad. 'It just doesn't happen. I'm sorry.'
"I hung up the phone and resumed staring at the wall. I was so shaken by the bad news, I hadn't even asked who else was charged. Allan Pursnell, one of my deputy commissioners, walked in with additional news. 'I just got a call from the Associated Press. They found out about the charges and want your reaction.'"
"Allan told me that five other people had been indicted with me - former governor Edwin Edwards, former district judge Foxy Sanders, Shreveport attorney Ron Weems, receiverships director Bob Bourgeois, and David Disiere of Shreveport, an insurance executive and owner of Cascade Insurance Company."
"'I told Allan I needed some time before talking to the AP. I wanted to call my wife Gladys. And I wasn't about to give a statement until I could collect my wits, think it through, and try to make some sense of what had just happened to me. I had just been indicted!"
In an interview with the Weekly, Brown said, "This book is a chance to vindicate myself. But, it is also an explanation that I have something to offer, some insights so others will not have to endure what I did."
Justice Denied is now available in bookstores. It also can be purchased by calling 225.925.8429.
Brown can be reached at jb@jimbrownla.com.
