My first visit to the State Attorney’s Office as a defense attorney was deemed so sensitive an occasion that the security guards had been notified in advance. I made it through the first checkpoint, the metal detectors, without incident, at which time Stage Two was commenced: the security guards notified the acting head of Investigations, Bob Jordan, and his second in command, Jim Carr. Bob and Jim came down to the lobby and personally approved further invasion. I got my name tag from the reception area and proceeded to Stage Three where the A.S.A. with whom I had a scheduled meeting assumed custody of me at the door to 2North.

After our meeting the A.S.A. offered to “walk me out,” not just out of her office to the doors to 2North, but off the second floor entirely, into the elevators and out into the lobby where the chain of custody was handed back to the security guards who saw me out of the building entirely.

The state of high alert was lifted, the all-clear signal given. The next day I was told that Security had a list of undesirables to keep a watch out for and I was “on the list and he’s staying on the list.”