Wednesday, March 10, 2021
My Students: Gavin Johnson
In my very first class, when I walked into the room not knowing anything about how to teach, I was lucky to find a student there-- David Moore-- who knew a lot about criminal law already, because he had a previous career as a sheriff's deputy. I very much appreciate that kind of experience in my class, and I found it again at St. Thomas when Gavin Johnson showed up. He was smart, mature, measured and almost always correct in his responses, and came to law school after a stint as a Fargo police officer in his home state of North Dakota. He was one of my favorite students then, or any time. He was in the ND National Guard while in law school, and I remember him missing class because of the flooding of the Red River (an oddity in the US, as it flows north while most of the rest flow south).
After law school, he served in the Air National Guard in North Dakota. His service has included two tours in Iraq, and he was tasked as Security Services Operations Officer, leading 74 enlisted personnel in protecting vital air bases. Now he is Circuit Defense Counsel in the Air Force, traveling the West defending airman accused of felony-level crimes.
And also... he is brilliant at haiku. You know the great poems by "Gavin?" This is that guy.
I’m a Circuit Defense Counsel in the Air Force now. I live in California and travel around the western US defending Airmen accused of felony-level crimes. Most of my cases involve sex assault, child pornography, or a death. It’s a challenging job but I love being in the Air Force. I sure do miss my St Thomas days though!
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