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Parish case keeping attorneys busy |
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Tuesday, 29 May 2007 |
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Page 2 of 4
Attorney in publicity spotlight
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Parish, et al, had already been filed and the initial blaring newspaper headlines have been written before attorney Andrew Savage returned from an overseas trip and received his first phone call from the Parish family.
A one-time prosecutor, Savage was elected to two four-year terms as a member of the Charleston County Council, and is a retired lieutenant colonel judge advocate general with the United States Air Force Reserve.
His private practice, however, has always been squarely focused on criminal defense.
“I was aware of the case, obviously, because of the headlines it was generating, and I knew of Al because he’s been such a prominent member of the community, but I had never met him,” Savage said. “About the closest I ever came, until this case came along, was seeing one of his seminars at the Charleston Harbor Club a number of years ago.”
While Savage works on the case every day and speaks often with Parish at the Charleston County Detention Center, it’s not the only legal matter on his plate, he said.
“It’s not really an all-consuming case at this time from a legal standpoint. I think the play the matter has received in the press is disproportionate to what has been transpiring on the legal side,” he said.
From the start, given Parish’s highly publicized amnesia and history of diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related health problems, Savage said his overriding concern was the longtime economist’s well-being.
“That’s why I thought it so important to get forensic psychiatrist, Susan J. Hardesty of MUSC, involved,” Savage said. “I thought it was very necessary that we get a handle on what his mental state is.”
In mid-May, after weeks of being hesitant about discussing the case with his client for fear of worsening Parish’s amnesia, the attorney received a preliminary report from forensic psychiatrists working with the economist that said such hesitancy is unwarranted.
On the heels of receiving that report, Savage facilitated a meeting between his client and J. David Dantzler, the attorney working with receiver Hays Financial Consulting, at the Charleston County Detention Center.
“I was only there as an observer, but I can confirm that my client was able to discuss matters freely with Dantzler and respond in some detail to his questions,” Savage said. “It’s just a first step in a long process, but I think a significant one. Al was able to fill in a lot of blanks.”
After weeks of work with psychiatrists, work that included exercises intended to improve his memory, Parish’s recall of events has “improved dramatically,” Savage said.
“His memory is not 100% back, but I’d be hard-pressed to determine the rhyme or reason behind what he can’t remember,” Savage said. “Much of his ongoing memory loss seems to be about things that have absolutely no connection to the case.”
Savage has been encouraged by the team of psychiatrists, who have been treated Parish at MUSC, to show his clients documents related to the case and strive to remind him of events he may still not remember.
“I haven’t actually seen the government’s criminal case against my client, but I feel much better now; at least the door’s been opened to allow me to discuss the allegations with my client,” Savage said.
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