Thursday, September 20, 2007

Atchison in the Gulf Breeze News

It's looking as if the story of the Assistant U.S. Attorney who's also a Gulf Breeze resident isn't going to go away in these parts for some time to come. Today, the weekly Gulf Breeze News weighs in on the coverage with not much new other than the reactions of friends and neighbors.

All of them apparently insisted on anonymity:
Those who know Roy Atchison say the reports out of Michigan must be describing a different person than the community leader and family man they know.

"He's squeaky clean," said one local official, on condition of anonymity. Another says there was no indication of any untoward behavior on his part as a coach and president of the Gulf Breeze Sports Association (GBSA).

Some associates remain hopeful that Atchison will be exonerated from a tragic mistake.

"He's a friend," one man said. "I would have trusted him with my grandchildren."

Others say they refused to believe the rumors until they had the chance to confirm that Roy Atchison was the same one accused of such a heinous plan.

Another said there had never been any reason to suspect that Atchison, a high ranking government official and community volunteer, was a pedophile.

The Gulf Breeze News also notes that "Atchison tried several high profile local cases. He would have known the risk of his alleged actions, one official said."

More than likely, the reference to "high profile cases" includes the Sandshaker Bar cocaine ring busts on Pensacola Beach a few years back. The St. Pete Times has archived a three-year old article describing the case. In it, a Pensacola Assistant U.S. Attorney by the name of "Acheson" is quoted -- almost certainly the same Roy Atchison now sitting in a Michigan jail cell.

Atchison is known to have worked primarily on civil and criminal forfeiture cases, which dominated the Sandshaker matter. In that case, the government seized ownership of the bar, a condo unit, a house, various cars, and other properties alleged to be fruits or instruments of the crimes. All of it was later auctioned off.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
1172 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 111
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366
amendmentone@comcast.net

September 23, 2007

The Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm
Governor of Michigan
Lansing, Michigan Via Fax to (517) 335-6863

Re: Florida Bar-Licensed Attorney and Alleged Pedophile John D. R. Atchison

Dear Governor Granholm:

In the aftermath of the arrest of the above Assistant US Attorney who allegedly journeyed from Florida to Michigan to have sex with a five-year-old girl, there is no public record that The Florida Bar, which licenses attorneys in our state, has taken any disciplinary or regulatory measures against him. By now, The Florida Bar should have utilized Bar Rule 3-5.2 to suspend him, on an emergency, temporary basis, from the practice of law. Further, The Bar should have used Bar Rule 3-7.13 to order his mental exam. Finally, there should have been opened a disciplinary file based upon the allegations against Atchison, resulting in his arrest. There is no public record that any of this has occurred. I verified that as late as Friday.

Maybe even more disturbing is the fact that The Florida Bar has for months known about and tolerated a prominent, politically active Florida attorney’s use of his official law firm web site to promote, on its home page, a porn portal to Internet sites used by pedophiles!

I strongly urge you to contact Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist to use his position to persuade the Florida Supreme to remedy the above derelictions by The Florida Bar.

If your office wants more information about any of the above, please call me at your earliest convenience.

Regards, Jack Thompson

Copy: Florida Bar Governors
Florida and Michigan Media

Anonymous said...

It makes you wounder if the city Manager is also one of these guys.. I

Vox Populi said...

This guy was clearly set up. If not point me to a copy of his confession.
YOu DO know he was investigating the brothers bush, coingate, bigwheel, aztec and other murdering, money-laundering schemes when he was arrested, right?
I don't even know the man and I can smell a setup like a dead rat here.

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