The trial began on the first Monday in October. I arrived at the courthouse early, wearing a navy dress and low heels. I had been called as a witness for the prosecution. I was prepared to testify again.
But I wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Diane Kessler stood up to give her opening statement. She outlined the case against Calvin Ashworth: the falsified reports, the bribes, the conspiracy to defraud the state of Georgia. She was calm and methodical. She presented the evidence like a surgeon presenting a diagnosis.
And then Harold Bates stood up for the defense.
He gave a different version of the story. He said Calvin Ashworth was a respected businessman who had been targeted by a disgruntled ex-girlfriend. He said the note was a forgery. He said the original report was a draft
