Phila. DA Picks New Deputy He Has Tackled With In Court And In The Ring
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams is looking to an old adversary as his new confidant, who is willing to bounce back to the other side of the courtroom, to make a difference.
Now that Seth Williams' longtime 1st Assistant DA George Mosee is retiring at the end of the year - Mosee joined the office in 1988 - Williams is recruiting criminal defense lawyer Tariq El-Shabazz to be his new number one.
"He has more than 28-years of experience in civil and criminal litigation in federal and state courts. He has tried more than 1000 jury trials."
El-Shabazz will also be the next Deputy for Investigations, which handles dangerous drug offenders, insurance fraud, economic and cyber crime, government fraud and special investigations. El-Shabazz recalls time and again fighting Assistant DA's at the Criminal Justice Center, whom he called "fierce advocates."
"Sometimes I took a deep breath, because I knew it was going to be a war. But i'm glad to be on your side now."
While his defense resume shows a formidable reputation, early in his law career, he served five years as an Assistant DA.
"When you stand for justice and right, there's no transition. There's no us against them. There's just justice, and there's right and wrong."
Williams and El-Shabazz have a history. This past spring, rather than tangle in the courtroom, the long time friends fought in the ring - for charity.
Yes, the two squared off and El-Shabazz was declared the winner by decision. During the announcement, Williams characterized El-Shabazz as a "champion Golden Gloves boxer," which made everyone smile, because the DA didn't mention their bout.
