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2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.

4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

Donald V. Watkins, P.C.
Attorney at Law
2170 Highland Avenue S., Suite 100
Birmingham, Alabama 35205
205-558-4665 (Office)
877-558-4670 (Fax)
dvw@donaldwatkins.com (Email)


Nay 21, 2u14

!"#$%"&"' %$) *"'"&)# +,-&"..

Bon. Robin C. Ashton
Counsel
0ffice of Piofessional Responsibility
0niteu States Bepaitment of }ustice
9Su Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Suite S266
Washington, BC 2uSSu-uuu1

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E552&4"FA :$''#" !$.5&$85 26 E#)G)3)

Beai Ns. Ashton:

This lettei constitutes my foimal complaint of piosecutoiial misconuuct against Ni. ueoige
L. Beck, }i., 0niteu States Attoiney foi the Niuule Bistiict of Alabama. Ni. Beck wiote me a
Nay 1S, 2u14, lettei (attacheu heieto as +,H$G$5 E), which was uisseminateu to iecipients
beyonu the client (Alabama State 0niveisity) I iepiesenteu at the time, anu which uenies
an Apiil 1u, 2u14, offei maue by FBI SSRA Kelvin King on behalf of the FBI to assist the
0niveisity anu to establish a close inteigoveinmental ielationship between the FBI anu
AS0. This offei was, in fact, maue, anu I subsequently conveyeu the offei to my client both
piivately, on Apiil 1u
th
, anu publicly, on Nay 9
th
.

Ni. Beck stateu in his Nay 1S
th
lettei that he plans to uisseminate his lettei to "those
peisons most likely affecteu by the content of |my Nay 11, 2u14j email anu pioposeu
action."

Foi context anu completeness, I have also incluueu a Nay 19, 2u14, email in which I ieply
to Ni. Beck's Nay 1S
th
lettei. This email is attacheu heieto as +,H$G$5 ?. The email
Watkins Complaint of Piosecutoiial Nisconuuct
Nay 21, 2u14
Page 2 of 7



2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

exchange between Ni. King anu me, which is iefeiieu to as an attachment in my Nay 19,
2u14, email to Ni. Beck, is attacheu heieto as +,H$G$5 1<

The allegations of piosecutoiial misconuuct fall into the following foui categoiies:

1. Ni. Beck's Nay 1S, 2u14, lettei to Watkins contains false anu misleauing
iepiesentations on matteis of gieat public inteiest in the Niuule Bistiict of
Alabama;

2. Ni. Beck uelibeiately mischaiacteiizeu both AS0's coiiesponuence with the
Bepaitment of }usticeFBI anu AS0's actions iegaiuing uoveinoi Bentley as
"iacially-motivateu";

S. Ni. Beck impiopeily ciiticizeu AS0 foi exeicising its constitutional iight to counsel
in connection with a foiensic assessment of the 0niveisity's financial books anu
iecoius; anu,

4. Ni. Beck inappiopiiately enuoiseu the so-calleu FSS "Pieliminaiy 0puate", which is
the subject of penuing litigation to which the 0niteu States is not a paity.

I will uiscuss the allegations on misconuuct in the oiuei in which they appeai above.

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&"-&"."45)5$24. 24 3)55"&. 26 ;&")5 -9G#$8 $45"&".5 $4 5H" :$''#" !$.5&$85 26
E#)G)3)

I am filing this complaint with the Bepaitment of }ustice's 0ffice of Piofessional
Responsibility in my inuiviuual capacity because I am the AS0 attoiney to whom Ni. Beck
auuiesseu his Nay 1S
th
lettei. This lettei containeu false anu misleauing iepiesentations
on matteis of gieat public inteiest in the Niuule Bistiict of Alabama. If not coiiecteu, Ni.
Beck's false anu misleauing iepiesentations will cause iiiepaiable ieputational haim to
AS0 anu to me.

At all times uuiing the couise of my iepiesentation of AS0, my piofessional seivices have
been ienueieu on a pio bono basis. This complaint aiises fiom piosecutoiial misconuuct
Ni. Beck uiiecteu at me in my capacity as AS0's special counsel.

Ny piofessional inteiaction with Ni. Beck commenceu on Becembei 2S, 2u1S, when AS0
iefeiieu suspecteu ciiminal conuuct to Ni. Beck's office anu iequesteu an investigation. To
my knowleuge, an investigation into the iefeiieu mattei was commenceu anu iemains
active.

Watkins Complaint of Piosecutoiial Nisconuuct
Nay 21, 2u14
Page 3 of 7



2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

The factual backgiounu ielevant to the false anu misleauing iepiesentations containeu in
Ni. Beck's Nay 1S
th
lettei is piesenteu below.

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At Ni. Beck's uiiection, Ni. Kenneth Thomas, who is AS0's geneial counsel, anu I met with
Ni. Kelvin King on Apiil 1u
th
to uiscuss the ciiminal mattei AS0 iefeiieu to the FBI. Ni.
Beck was not piesent uuiing this meeting. The uiscussions expanueu to auuitional AS0-
ielateu topics, incluuing: (a) the so-calleu Neuicaiu ieimbuisement issue, (b) the allegeu
"conflicts of inteiest" by Elton Bean anu Naivin Wiggins, who aie two of AS0's tiustees, (c)
the natuie anu scope of contiacts ielating to the constiuction anu opeiation of the new AS0
stauium, (u) a shoit histoiy of the !"#$%& () *+,-,., case, (e) the significance of 0.S.
Bistiict }uuge Baiolu Nuiphy's Naich 17, 2u14, lettei to 0niveisity tiustees, anu (f) the
Foiensic Stiategic Solutions ("FSS") "Pieliminaiy 0puate".

It was neai the enu of the Apiil 1uth meeting, following an open anu fiank uiscussion on
the topics listeu above, when Ni. King maue an offei on behalf of the FBI to be of assistance
to AS0. Be stateu that the FBI uiu not want an auveisaiial ielationship with AS0. I
iesponueu that AS0 uiu not want an auveisaiial ielationship with the FBI. Ni. King wanteu
to know how the FBI coulu be of assistance to AS0 anu how the two agencies coulu woik
togethei to make AS0 a bettei institution. I tolu him that AS0 woulu welcome a close
inteigoveinmental ielationship anu that I woulu biief the appiopiiate AS0 officials on his
outieach initiative. Ni. King offeieu to visit the AS0 campus foi the follow-up meeting oi
to make himself available foi anothei meeting in his office.

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Q45"&;2%"&43"45)# /"#)5$24.H$-

Ni. Thomas anu I believeu that Ni. King's offei of assistance to AS0 was sinceie anu
genuine at the time. We hau no ieason to believe otheiwise. We iepoiteu this offei of
assistance to the appiopiiate AS0 officials in the spiiit in which it was maue to us.

I wiote Ni. King an email on Apiil 11
th
confiiming the ielationship offeieu by him uuiing
oui meeting. A copy of this email is attacheu. I also sent Ni. King a copy of 0.S. Bistiict
}uuge Baiolu Nuiphy's Naich 17, 2u14, lettei, which was uiscusseu uuiing the meeting. A
copy of }uuge Nuiphy's lettei is attacheu.

0n Nay 8, 2u14, I auviseu Ni. King, in wiiting, that I woulu biief the AS0 boaiu of tiustees
on his offei of assistance. A copy of my Nay 8
th
email to Ni. King is attacheu. With no
objection voiceu by Ni. King, I gave the AS0 boaiu of tiustees a biiefing on Nay 9th.



Watkins Complaint of Piosecutoiial Nisconuuct
Nay 21, 2u14
Page 4 of 7



2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

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0n Nay 19, 2u14, Ni. Beck's office claimeu that the now uisputeu FBI offei of assistance
anu the close inteigoveinmental ielationship extenueu by Ni. King hau been "heavily
investigateu" anu that no such offei hau been maue. If Ni. Beck conuucteu any legitimate
investigation, it uiu not incluue inteiviews with Ni. Thomas oi me, noi uiu it incluue a
ieview of my coiiesponuence to Ni. King oi the peitinent coiiesponuence to my client.
Theie weie only thiee inuiviuuals in the meeting, anu two of them weie not contacteu in
connection with Ni. Beck's so-calleu "investigation". Insteau, Ni. Beck contacteu Ni. Baviu
Byine to get his veision of what hau tianspiieu. Ni. Byine is not an attoiney foi AS0, he
was not in the Apiil 1u
th
meeting, he was not a membei of my legal team, anu he iepiesents
a client (uoveinoi Bentley) whose inteiests aie often auveisaiial to those of AS0.

Piioi to ieceiving Ni. Beck's Nay 1Sth lettei, I hau nevei ieceiveu any oial oi wiitten
communication fiom Ni. King suggesting that the inteigoveinmental ielationship, which I
summaiizeu in my Apiil 11th anu Nay 8th emails to him, was inaccuiately uesciibeu oi
mischaiacteiizeu. At no time between Apiil 1uth anu Nay 9th, uiu Ni. King notify me that
the FBI was withuiawing its offei of a close inteigoveinmental ielationship with AS0. Ni.
Beck's Nay 1Sth lettei is the fiist anu only inuication that I have ieceiveu stating that the
FBI has no such inteiest in this iegaiu.

I unueistanu that Ni. Beck's office now publicly claims that neithei his office noi the FBI
iesponus to emails like the ones I wiote Ni. King. This is not tiue. Both Nessis. Beck anu
King have iesponueu in wiiting to emails fiom me when they wanteu to auuiess, coiiect, oi
claiify vaiious positions taken by me on AS0-ielateu matteis. I have coiiesponuence
available to youi office to suppoit my statement in this iegaiu.

To be cleai, I have nevei maue any iepiesentation, publicly oi piivately, suggesting that the
0.S. Attoiney's office has sought oi uesiieu any type of collaboiative ielationship with
AS0. The offei of assistance anu close inteigoveinmental ielationship ielateu to the FBI
only. Ni. Beck maue it cleai in his piioi communications with me anu in his Nay 1S
th
lettei
that he uiu not want this type of inteigoveinmental ielationship.

It is one thing foi the FBI to change its minu anu withuiaw Ni. King's Apiil 1uth offei of
assistance to AS0. It is anothei thing foi Ni. Beck to make false anu misleauing statements
about a mattei of gieat public inteiest. The attacheu emails, as well as othei emails which
have not been publicly uiscloseu, suppoit my veision of what tianspiieu in the meeting
with Ni. King. Auuitionally, Ni. Thomas has coiioboiateu my veision of what was saiu in
the Apiil 1u
th
meeting on multiple occasions.

I have inteifaceu with scoies of FBI agents aiounu the countiy ovei the past 4u yeais of law
piactice. I believeu, at the time, that Ni. King iepiesenteu the best of the best in the FBI.
Bis Apiil 1uth commitment to establishing a collaboiative association between AS0 anu the
Watkins Complaint of Piosecutoiial Nisconuuct
Nay 21, 2u14
Page 5 of 7



2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

Buieau was a iefieshing uevelopment that I felt neeueu to be fully embiaceu by the
0niveisity.

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G"$4; V&)8$)##FW325$%)5"'X

In auuition to containing false anu misleauing statements on a mattei of gieat public
inteiest, Ni. Beck's Nay 1S
th
lettei was malicious, politically motivateu, anu countei-
piouuctive. Be also useu the authoiity of his office to uefenu uoveinoi Robeit Bentley
against, what he chaiacteiizes as, "iacially motivateu" accusations by AS0 tiustees.

Nowheie in any coiiesponuence between AS0 anu Nessis. Beck oi King has AS0 chaigeu
that uoveinoi Bentley's actions towaiu AS0 aie iacially motivateu. In fact, uoveinoi
Bentley's conuuct has been the focus of only thiee emails exchangeu between Ni. Beck anu
me. This email exchange occuiieu on Apiil 2, 2u14. None of them mentions iace oi iacial
motivation in any way. The sole puipose of my Apiil 2
nu
emails to Ni. Beck was to make
suie that his office was awaie of a situation in which the uoveinoi maue political use of
ceitain infoimation uevelopeu in the couise of an investigation aiising fiom his iefeiial of
the FSS "Pieliminaiy 0puate" to Ni. Beck's office.

AS0 has nevei sought to be uiawn into a political battle with the uoveinoi oi anyone
else. Bowevei, AS0 hau a iight to expect that the confiuentiality of infoimation uevelopeu
uuiing the couise of state anu feueial law enfoicement investigations into the 0niveisity's
financial affaiis woulu be stiictly enfoiceu acioss-the-boaiu, iegaiuless of the iefeiiing
goveinmental agency. I believeu on Apiil 2nu that the leau agency foi ensuiing the
confiuential natuie of infoimation uevelopeu uuiing the couises of a feueial investigation
was Ni. Beck's office.

Ni. Beck's giatuitous inseition of this "iacially motivateu" language in his Nay 1S
th
lettei
mischaiacteiizes the natuie of the communications with his office anu was appaiently
uesigneu to have a chilling effect on the iight of AS0 officials to exeicise theii
constitutionally piotecteu fiee speech. Auuitionally, this "iacially motivateu" language
falsely iepiesents the natuie anu scope of my bouy of coiiesponuence with Ni. Beck.

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G22@. )4' &"82&'.

Ni. Beck's lettei was highly ciitical of AS0's ietention of piivate counsel to inteiface with
FSS uuiing the foiensic auuit piocess in which AS0 gatheieu, catalogueu, anu pioviueu
millions of uocuments to FSS. Buiing my 41 yeais of piacticing law, I have nevei seen a
laige coipoiate entity unueigo a foiensic auuit assessment without being iepiesenteu by
Watkins Complaint of Piosecutoiial Nisconuuct
Nay 21, 2u14
Page 6 of 7



2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

legal counsel. Likewise, I have nevei seen a sitting 0.S. Attoiney ciiticize a public entity foi
using legal counsel to assist the entity uuiing the auuit piocess.

Noieovei, the State of Alabama has a long anu infamous iecoiu of uenying accuseu peisons
of coloi the iight to counsel anu the iight to effective assistance of counsel. This is a veiy
sensitive subject foi that poition of the state's population that has histoiically been uenieu
its Constitutional iights in this iegaiu.

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Ni. Beck's lettei scolueu AS0 foi not embiacing the FSS "Pieliminaiy 0puate" that was
ieleaseu to the public befoie it was pioviueu to AS0 foi ieview anu comment. Bespite a
bolu face uisclaimei in this FSS uocument that the "upuate is not a final iepoit anu is not
intenueu to be ielieu upon as anything othei than an upuate on FFS' inuepenuent financial
foiensic assessment of Alabama State 0niveisity", Ni. Beck scolueu AS0 officials foi
tieating the upuate with gieat skepticism.

The iepoit was piepaieu by a little-known Alabama foiensic auuiting fiim with no piioi
expeiience in conuucting such a foiensic assessment on the financial iecoius of a majoi
univeisity. The upuate was nevei piesenteu to AS0 officials foi input, comments,
claiifications, oi coiiections piioi to its public ielease. It was ieplete with mateiial factual
eiiois anu fatal flaws. All suggestions of potential waste anu fiauu that weie iuentifieu in
the upuate weie subsequently anu sounuly iefuteu by AS0 in all mateiial iespects.

Fuitheimoie, the substance of the upuate anu the mannei in which it was publicly ieleaseu
aie cential issues in penuing litigation initiateu by AS0 against FSS. The 0niteu States is
not a paity to this litigation. Ni. Beck's iinging enuoisement of the FSS pieliminaiy upuate
anu his attack on AS0 foi exeicising its Constitutional iight to challenge the valiuity of the
upuate in couit suggest to the public, by implication, that the 0niteu States has taken siues
in the AS0-FSS litigation to which the 0niteu States is not a paity.

If the 0niteu States believes in the FSS upuate, uespite FSS's bolu-faceu uisclaimei, then the
goveinment shoulu foimally inteivene in the penuing AS0-FSS litigation on the siue of FSS,
iathei than using the inheient authoiity of a 0niteu States Attoiney to euitoiialize on AS0's
neeu to "embiace" the upuate.

AS0 uoes not know whethei FSS will be issuing a final foiensic accounting examination
iepoit. The uoveinoi's office commissioneu the foiensic assessment, but has iefeiieu AS0
to state anu feueial piosecutois to auuiess the question of when a final iepoit will be
issueu. Both agencies have been contacteu in this iegaiu, yet neithei one has answeieu
this question. This state of limbo is huiting AS0, as aiticulateu in my Nay 11, 2u14, email to
Ni. Beck. (See, Exhibit A to the Nay 1S, 2u14, Beck lettei.)
Watkins Complaint of Piosecutoiial Nisconuuct
Nay 21, 2u14
Page 7 of 7



2170 Highland Ave S., Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35205 205.558.4665 (Office) 877.558.4670 (Fax)
Email: dvw@donaldwatkins.com

AS0 agiees with the expiess uisclaimei in the FSS upuate. 0ntil anu unless FSS issues a
final iepoit, no conclusions oi infeiences can be ieasonably uiawn oi ielieu on by any
institution, goveinment oi law enfoicement agency, cieuit iepoiting agency oi accounting
fiim as to the accuiacy oi mateiiality of any statements that weie containeu in the
pieliminaiy upuate.

1248#9.$24

I am piepaieu to fully coopeiate with youi office's investigation into the matteis allegeu in
this complaint. Auuitionally, I am iequesting that the FBI pieseive any auuio oi viueo
iecoiuing of the Apiil 1u
th
meeting as eviuence in this 0PR investigation.

Please call me if you have any questions about the matteis iefeienceu in my foimal
complaint oi the coiiesponuence attacheu to it.

Thank you foi youi attention to this mattei.

Respectfully Submitteu,




Bonalu v. Watkins


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Beai Ni. Beck:
Thank you foi youi lettei uateu Nay 1S, 2u14, a copy of which is attacheu. Fiist, let me say that
I was suipiiseu by the tone of youi lettei. Seconu, as a mattei of piofessional couitesy, I woulu
have expecteu you to call me, not Ni. Baviu Biyne, foi claiification about meuia statements
attiibuteu to me.
Thiiu, anu peihaps most tioubling, is youi suggestion that the FBI uiu not expiess a willingness
to entei into a new ielationship of close inteigoveinmental coopeiation with Alabama State
0niveisity ("AS0"). As you can see fiom the attacheu emails, this offei was piesenteu to AS0 by
FBI SSRA Kelvin King uuiing an Apiil 1u, 2u14, meeting foi which Kenneth Thomas, who is
AS0's ueneial Counsel, anu I weie both piesent. You weie not piesent uuiing the meeting. We
met with Ni. King pei youi uiiections.
0ui meeting with Ni. King coveieu a numbei of subjects, incluuing: (a) the so-calleu Neuicaiu
ieimbuisement issue, (b) the allegeu "conflicts of inteiest" by Elton Bean anu Naivin Wiggins,
who aie two of AS0's tiustees, (c) the natuie anu scope of contiacts ielating to the constiuction
anu opeiation of the new AS0 stauium, (u) a shoit histoiy of the !"#$%& () *+,-,., case, (e) the
significance of 0.S. Bistiict }uuge Baiolu Nuiphy's Naich 17, 2u14, lettei to 0niveisity tiustees
(a copy of which was subsequently pioviueu to Ni. King), anu (f) the FSS "Pieliminaiy 0puate"
that you quote thioughout youi lettei. Anothei mattei which AS0 iefeiieu to youi office was
also uiscusseu but will not be uiscloseu in this coiiesponuence. It was neai the enu of the
meeting, following uiscussions on these topics, when Ni. King offeieu to assist AS0.
Ni. Thomas anu I believeu that Ni. King's offei of assistance to AS0 was sinceie anu genuine at
the time. We hau no ieason to believe otheiwise. We iepoiteu this offei of assistance to the
appiopiiate AS0 officials in the spiiit in which it was maue to us.
Fuitheimoie, in youi lettei, you mistakenly claim that AS0's ietention of these lawyeis was
maue to aiu the 0niveisity in its piesentation to FSS. Bowevei, the ietention of piivate outsiue
counsel foi ceitain AS0 tiustees, officeis, anu employees gieatly aiueu Ni. Thomas anu me in
piopeily piepaiing anu piesenting AS0's infoimation to Ni. King. Ny Nay 9th iepoit to the
boaiu of tiustees in this iegaiu cleaily states that the ietention of outsiue counsel was ielateu
to the matteis coveieu in my Apiil 1uth FBI piesentation. The woik of these outsiue lawyeis
has also been helpful to the 0niveisity's piepaiation of FSS-ielateu piesentation mateiials in
othei venues.
0n Nay 8, 2u14, I auviseu Ni. King that I woulu biief the AS0 boaiu of tiustees on his offei of
assistance, which he extenueu uuiing oui Apiil 1uth meeting anu maue on behalf of the FBI.
With no objection voiceu by Ni. King, I gave the biiefing on Nay 9th.
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Piioi to ieceiving youi Nay 1Sth lettei, I hau nevei ieceiveu any oial oi wiitten communication
fiom Ni. King suggesting that the inteigoveinmental ielationship, which I summaiizeu in my
Apiil 11th anu Nay 8th emails, was inaccuiately uesciibeu oi mischaiacteiizeu. At no time
between Apiil 1uth anu Nay 9th, uiu Ni. King notify me that the FBI was withuiawing its offei
of a close inteigoveinmental ielationship with AS0. Youi lettei is the fiist anu only inuication
that I have ieceiveu stating that the FBI has no such inteiest in this iegaiu.
Auuitionally, we have nevei maue any iepiesentation, publicly oi piivately, suggesting that the
0.S. Attoiney's office has sought oi uesiieu any type of collaboiative ielationship with AS0.
Youi aggiessive uefense of uoveinoi Bentley anu the FSS "Pieliminaiy 0puate" makes it cleai
that you uo not want that kinu of ielationship.
It is one thing foi the FBI to change its minu anu withuiaw Ni. King's Apiil 1uth offei of
assistance to AS0. It is anothei thing to claim that I misiepiesenteu the statements maue by Ni.
King uuiing the Apiil 1uth meeting. The attacheu emails anu Ni. Thomas' piesence suppoit my
veision of this event.
Finally, youi lettei is highly ciitical of the 0niveisity's ietention of piivate counsel to inteiface
with FSS uuiing the foiensic auuit piocess in which millions of uocuments weie gatheieu,
catalogueu, anu pioviueu to FSS. Buiing my 41 yeais of piacticing law, I have nevei seen a
coipoiate entity unueigo a foiensic auuit assessment without being iepiesenteu by legal
counsel. Likewise, I have nevei seen a sitting 0.S. Attoiney ciiticize a public entity foi using
legal counsel to assist the auuiteu entity. Noieovei, the State of Alabama has a long anu
uistinguisheu iecoiu of uenying accuseu peisons the iight to counsel anu the iight to effective
assistance of counsel. This is a veiy sensitive subject foi that poition of the state's population
which has histoiically been uenieu its Constitutional iights in this iegaiu.
Please call me if you have any questions about the matteis iefeienceu in my email oi the
coiiesponuence attacheu to it.
Thanks you.
Bonalu v. Watkins
Bonalu v. Watkins, PC
Attoiney at Law
217u Bighlanu Avenue S.
Suite 1uu
Biimingham, Al SS2uS 0SA
2uS-22S-2294 (Nobile)
2uS-SS8-466S (0ffice)
877-SS8-467u (Fax)
Special Counsel to AS0


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