David J. Harrison
(From Dothan Eagle)
David J. Harrison, a lawyer from Geneva, filed paperwork for Ronnie Gilley's guilty plea in the bingo case. Gilley, the developer of Country Crossing near Dothan, had been represented by former U.S. attorney Doug Jones and two other lawyers from Haskell Slaughter. For roughly a month, both Harrison and Jones were listed as attorneys for Gilley. and court documents include excerpts of jailhouse conversations in which Gilley tells Harrison he does not want to plead guilty and does not believe he is guilty.
Despite that, Gilley wound up pleading guilty and spending four years in federal prison. The government received zero guilty verdicts from all the bingo defendants who went to trial. Did Harrison, perhaps with Jones' help, con Gilley into making a guilty plea? The answer to that question remains unclear, but this is clear: David J. Harrison has a sketchy background, and one must wonder if Gilley was aware of that when Harrison came on board as his attorney.
In March 1997, Harrison was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. That sounds like a fairly serious offense, the kind that might lead to a declaration one is unfit to practice law. But we are talking about Alabama here, and the state bar, somehow, saw fit to return Harrison to its membership roll.
That, however, has not kept Harrison out of trouble. In April 2017, Harrison was arrested in Dothan and charged with false reporting to a police officer. From a Dothan Eagle article on the incident:
According to Dothan police reports, Harrison was selling a vehicle at a car lot in Dothan and he alleged that forgery occurred in the paperwork. After an investigation, police determined no items had been forged, leading to the charge against him.
Harrison’s arraignment is scheduled for June 6. According to Harrison’s attorney, Shaun McGhee, they look forward to their day in court. McGhee believes his client will be found innocent of all charges.
Now, we can add "customer at Ashley Madison" to Harrison's list of dubious distinctions. Public records indicate Harrison is married to Shana Dee Harrison. Her LinkedIn profile says she is managing director at Blue Bay Clothing.
It's not clear if the Harrisons have children, but between them, they own several pieces of property in Geneva. The family home appears to be at 208 W. Lakeshore Ave., Geneva, with an appraised value of $331,600. It is in Shana Dee Harrison's name only.
We sought comment from David J. Harrison for this article, but he has not responded to our queries.
Previously:
Article with links to 1-20 in Ashley Madison series
(21) Craig Oliver, attorney, Springfield, MO (1/24/17)
(22) Craig Lowell, attorney, Wiggins Childs, Birmingham (1/26/17)
(23) Thomas Mancuso, tax attorney, Montgomery, AL (2/16/17)
(24) Nicholas Arciniegas, attorney, Washington, D.C. (2/21/17)
(25) Griffin McGahey, vice president, High Cotton USA, Birmingham (3/16/17)
(26) Matthew Couch, attorney, Cabaniss Johnson, Birmingham (3/23/17)
(27) Dr. Keron Vickers, chiropractor, Birmingham (4/4/17)
(28) D. Paterson Cope, president, wealth management, Birmingham (4/20/17)
(29) Shawn Baker, developer, Blackwater Resources, Birmingham (4/24/17)
(30) David Deusner, attorney/forensics, Control Risks, Birmingham/Washington, D.C. (4/26/17)