Courtroom Cowboy

COURTROOM COWBOY, which took three years to write, was culled from a hundred interviews and thousands of pages of trial transcripts and court records.

The book could not have been written without the cooperation of the many Philadelphia judges and lawyers who generously shared their vivid memories of Jim Beasley, including: Richard A. Sprague, District Attorney Lynne Abraham, Superior Court Judge Stephen J. McEwen Jr., Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Melinson, Judge Mark I. Bernstein, Judge Sandra Mazer Moss, Judge Charles P. Mirarchi Jr., Judge Isador Kranzel, Temple University Beasley School of Law Dean Robert J. Reinstein, Thomas R. Kline, Shanin Specter, James E. Colleran, Arthur G. Raynes, James F. Mundy, David Cohen, M. Mark Mendel, Sheldon L. Albert, James J. Binns, James L. Griffith, Slade H. McLaughlin, Benedict A. Casey, Paul A. Lauricella, Michael A. Smerconish, James J. McHugh Jr., Dolores Rocco, Judge Thomas B. Rutter, Helene Christian, Elaine M. Ross, George L. Young Jr., Gerald F. Kaplan, Bernard Snyder, Daniel L. Thistle, Thomas W. Smith, Marsha F. Santangelo, David A Yanoff, William P. Murphy, Scott A. Bennett, Meyer A. Bushman, Kathleen L. DaerrBannon, James E. Foerstner, William Lytton, Gregory M. Harvey, Richard D. Hailey, Warren Ballard, Edward B. Joseph, Michael Mather and James C. Stroud.

Former expert witnesses R. James Woolsey Jr., Laurie Mylroie and Wolfram Rieger gave me valuable insights on what it was like to collaborate with Jim Beasley in a courtroom, as did former clients Richards A. Sprague, Mark F. MacDonald, Joseph McGovern, Gale Greenberg, Eddie Scarborough, Patricia Scarborough, Scott Woodworth, Justice John Doe, Jane Doe, John Maddux, Elisabeth “Buffy” Maddux Hall, Margaret “Meg” Wakeman and Mary Maddux.

I am indebted to several journalists, including Eugene L. Roberts Jr., James M. Naughton and Kent Pollock, for explaining what it was like to go up against Jim Beasley in the epic libel case known as Sprague v. Walter. Zack Stalberg and L. Stuart Ditzen were also helpful in detailing the challenges of covering Jim Beasley as a news subject. Mike Mallowe, Jim Nicholson and Dan Lynch provided valuable background for understanding the Sprague v. Walter case, as well as insight into what it was like to be a reporter working in Philadelphia during the Frank Rizzo years.

F. Lee Bailey also gave me perspective on the Sprague case.

Architects S. Neil Schlosser and Karl Krumholz, contractor Joe Brassell Sr., artist Michael Webb and Beasley business associate Michael DiPaolo were essential in explaining Beasley’s grand conversion of the former Epsicopal Church House into a law office.

Villanova Law Professor Catherine Lanctot tutored me on the history of the Philadelphia lawyer.

I would like to thank Jim Beasley Jr., the originator of this project, who also functioned as editor, and steadfastly insisted that Courtroom Cowboy be an honest and unvarnished portrait of his father.

I am indebted to the women in the Beasley family — Helen, Pam, Kim and Liz

— for showing me the softer side of the courtroom warrior. Nancy Beasley, Lynn Hayes and Gloria Fletcher were also candid in discussing Jim Beasley’s early life. For further insights, I would like to thank Nicole Chabat and Heidi Peditto.

Beasley’s first cousin, Walter Woodworth, was invaluable in recalling Beasley’s childhood and teenage years. Beasley’s fellow warbird pilots — Dan — showed me another side of the Beasley persona, that of the barnstorming and thrillseeking daredevil of the air shows. I also appreciated the comments of Dr. Bernard L. Segal and Dr. John Glick.

I would like to thank editor Yolanda Fuller for helping me plan and carry out this project, and also for doing some valuable trouble shooting along the way. I would also like to thank other careful readers who caught numerous mistakes in the manuscript and made some telling suggestions on how to improve it, including Jim Beasley Jr., , David A.Yanoff, Robert Zausner, Julia Bibb, Rosemarie D’Alba and Bob Fowler. I am also indebted to Joel Tuckman, Susan Holbrook, Valerie Ross and Chuck Lee, for digging up countless court files and other documents at The Beasley Firm, and I would also like to thank Sue and Val for straightening out every computer problem that came along.

Lastly, I would like to thank Sal Paolant , who, when I needed a lawyer, told me to call Michael A. Smerconish, who introduced me to Jim Beasley.

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