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When greenbacks were the rule of law
When we hear the expression "speak into my lapel," it is commonly understood to be jokingly asking another to keep a conversation secret. Its counterpart, "speak into my judge's robe," is not as common. However, that phrase is used almost exclusively by those who are privy to the work of an undercover judge who wore a recorder during the Greylord investigation of 1978-1984. During that time, the federal government worked with local authorities in Cook County to investigate the courts and flush out corruption from the pipes of the legal system.
The key player in the Greylord investigation who, in present times, is revered as somewhat of a legend because he goes down in history as the first judge to go undercover in an investigation and wear a recording device is none other than Judge Brocton Lockwood. His participation in the massive Greylord probe sent 15 judges and 49 lawyers to prison for their involvement in bribery and tax fraud. Numerous other court personnel were also convicted.
Gene Niezgoda was the court administrator of the First Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County for 54 years. He retired in August of 2017with a legendary record of serving eight presiding judges. He is virtually a walking, talking history book of the court. He fondly remembers Judge Lockwood as a gentleman, a friendly guy, very critical, and a good conversationalist who asked a lot of questions about the courts in Cook County. According to Gene's memory, Judge Lockwood expressed an opinion about the courts. Gene stated that he would assign Judge Lockwood to traffic court, non-jury torts, and contracts. Gene also expressed his sentiments that the courts today have changed dramatically from the courts Judge Lockwood experienced.
Judge Lockwood describes his formative years having grown up in two worlds. In one world his mother was a university professor and he was allowed to circulate with faculty members. In the other, he paints a picture of a boy raised on a farm by his liberal, maternal grandfather who had a routine of reading the bible every morning at breakfast and living in a fundamentalist area where its values brushed off on him.
He was a good student in high school, participated in sports, and the theater. During college, Oberlin in Ohio, he worked part-time as a policeman and also became an investigator for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Nashville. Later, in a bid to follow in his dad's footsteps and join the Marines to serve in Vietnam, his dreams were curtailed. To his dismay, he was rejected due to knee and shoulder injuries he received in high school athletics. Although dismayed, he applied and was accepted at law school. He graduated from Vanderbilt law school in 1969 and nine years later, at age of 34, was appointed to the bench in 1978 in Williamson County, Illinois. As was the custom at that time, he was sent to Chicago in the summer of 1978 to help clear the backlog in Cook County courts. He started in housing court and upon returning in 1979 was assigned to traffic court.
Investigative reporters described Lockwood as having Hollywood good looks, a Southern Illinois twang and a likeable style that quickly ingratiated him with the "lowest elements of traffic court." Court personnel and judges liked him hence enabling him to obtain important information. The authors of Greylord ]ustice Chicago Style, Touhy and Warren, reported that Judge Lockwood was first directly exposed to corruption in traffic court while having drinks with a court clerk who revealed that a prosecutor had fixed a case he ruled on earlier in the
day. This episode marked a pivotal moment that set in motion Judge Lockwood's commitment and involvement in an investigation aimed at reforming the court system.
In the fall of 1980, Judge Lockwood approached the Public Integrity Section of Justice Department in Washington, D.C. since he felt he could trust no local officials. He offered to help expose some corrupt public officials. The federal government attorneys wanted recorded tapes of local officials engaging illegal acts or speech. The federal government needed a mole and according to Touhy and Warren, Lockwood was the perfect match to be a mole. Lockwood, channeling his experience in theater, serving as a policeman, having some investigator experience, and, being a two-time divorcee, seemed to be the right background narrative to support a role he could play as a womanizing, hard drinking free-spending good old boy who needed cash to support his excessive habits. He would freely seek admission into the corruption club. By the summer of 1981he was a full-fledged member of the club, trusted by corrupt judges, clerks, bailiffs, and lawyers.
In playing his role he wore cowboy boots at one point to conceal a smaller recorder and is perhaps most remembered for the cowboy boots. Although Lockwood did not wear or own cowboy boots prior to the investigation, in 1983 cowboy boots were of a fad and so he wore them to help conceal the recording device. Lockwood admits to being in fear most of the time he wore the recording device since he would have preferred a wire that transmitted to nearby FBI agents and thus provide a huge level of comfort in case things went wrong. He was concerned that he would get caught and then in true Chicago style be made to disappear or get roughed up.
In December 1983 the first Greylord indictments were announced and Judge Lockwood's identity as an undercover judge was revealed. He had involvement in four cases. One case involved a crooked city
attorney who fled the country, never to return and three involving bagmen, and one each of a court clerk, bailiff, and policeman. He testified in the policeman's trial in which the defense attorney referred to him as the "hillbilly judge." The officer was convicted and received a sentence of seven years. Judge Lockwood states in his book that after the two remaining trials he was disillusioned with the system and with people in positions of authority. Shortly before the policeman's trial in 1984 he resigned from the bench and returned to practice in Southern
Illinois.
He confesses in his book that if given the opportunity again he would not have done the undercover work! He expressed frustration with the slow movement of the investigation, changes in the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the grueling, tiring effort it took to work undercover.
He returned to the bench in Saline County from 2000-2006. In 2004, he started a drug court to address the huge methamphetamine problem in southern Illinois. The program involved 60 days in jail, treatment for addiction, and a report to the court each week Judge Lockwood worked with local businesses and churches to provide a more structured environment in which to observe, encourage, listen and reward the addicts. The meth epidemic in the First Circuit has been significantly reduced as a result. The successful program has improved and continues today.
In Lockwood's book, he reflected that Greylord allowed him to become himself. He states at the end, "I don't worry anymore about whether I'm a success or failure. It is no longer important. Because of that I'm glad I had the experience. I am much happier now, and I no longer think my death is imminent."
He concludes the book with a statement of his gratitude in being able to pay back something he owed referring to not being able to serve as a Marine like his father. He says, "Perhaps by not being able to serve in Vietnam or because I've had more opportunities than some, but I never felt as if I had ‘paid for my raisin.’"
He would now.
He passed away May 21, 2018 in downstate Illinois at 74-years-old.