Former Defense Lawyer Avoids Jail For Forging Judges’ Signatures

According to the Austin American Statesman, a former criminal defense lawyer has avoided jail time for foraging judges’ signatures and using methamphetamines. Bruce Garrison, 39 years old, got into some pretty serious trouble that began with an addiction to controlled substances. He soon found himself associated with a local drug kingpin by the name of Noe Perez which led to even more questionable activity. At Garrison’s recent trial, Perez testified to smoking methamphetamines with the defendant. Perez had several drug dealers in jail at the time and wanted information on the arrests and the extent to which his former associates were cooperating with the authorities. Garrison agreed to give him this information in exchange for drugs and forged judges' signatures to obtion the documents.

I hate to say it, but this is not shocking news to me. I have always viewed most, but not all, defense lawyers to have questionable ethical standards. I personally would never be able to protect the guilty and if I did, I know that it would require me to enter a mind state that I am not familiar with. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that innocent people are accused and charged with crimes which they did not commit. I also believe that people with connections are not treated equally in a court of law.

Although prosecutors were seeking at least one year in jail for his actions, Garrison received two years of deferred adjudication which is a form of probation, otherwise known as a slap on the wrist. About five years ago one of my best friends received this same sentence for having under a gram of a controlled substance in his pocket downtown. Should he have had the drugs? No. Is it fair that a college kid experimenting with drugs receives the same sentence as Garrison? I’ll let you form your own opionion about that.

The bottom line is that I am sick and tired of hearing about well connected, over paid, “good ole boys” getting off easy and the average citizen being punished to the full extent of the law. Garrisons lawyer, Josh Saegert said, “Bruce is not defeated. He is now using his experience to help others overcome their own drug addiction through his work as a program director at Mark Houston Recovery.” Good for him. Now that he has experience as a lawyer, been involved in public scandal, and now born again all under the age of 40 we will probably see him running for office in the next ten years.