Eyes of Justice: A Career Crime Fighter Battles Corruption...and Blindness A Memoir

Despite a childhood affliction that left James Cabezas with the grim knowledge that he might one day go blind, he led a courageous career in law enforcement for more than four decades. With his vision intact, Jim proudly wore a police uniform, tracking drug dealers, thieves, and an armed robber in the precarious days before Baltimore cops wore bullet proof vests. He performed his duty relentlessly, despite interference from corrupt, racist and inept cops.While the world’s finest eye doctors kept him from going blind, Jim worked as a deep covert, driving a cab in Baltimore’s notorious red light district. In a city plagued with gun violence, he wore no firearm - or even a concealed wire- to hunt for mob bosses, while befriending strip club owners and prostitutes.When he finally got his gun back - after resurfacing as a detective - Jim could no longer see well enough to shoot. Ever resourceful, he became Maryland’s first investigator of political corruption.Jim needed no gun to catch councilmen and sheriffs robbing campaign coffers, a county executive coercing police to conceal his sexual escapades, businessmen stealing millions from school funds, a judge and a gubernatorial aid taking bribes, and Baltimore’s comptroller swindling the city through a fake employee. With his eyesight deteriorating, Jim defied a government doctor who ordered him to stop working. Instead, he got a talking computer. After he went completely blind he investigated a popular Mayor for theft and perjury. Despite public outcry against the inquiry, the mayor was convicted and forced to resign.Eyes of Justice is a memoir of one man’s faith and devotion to duty who refused to be defined by his disability. Reviews for Eyes of Justice"For aficionados of Maryland's robust culture of organized crime, disorganized crime and political culture, the memoir of legendary investigator Jimmy Cabezas arrives to occupy some essential space. From his early undercover work on Baltimore's Block, the red-light district once home to gambling czars and burlesque queens, to his long campaign with the Maryland State Prosecutor's Office and investigations of corrupt politicians -- up to and including Baltimore's mayor -- Cabezas provides an honest insider's view on the quotidian, unending and always unfinished battle for clean government."--David Simon, executive producer The Wire, The DeuceJim Cabezas is a true rarity, someone with a unique story to share. His experiences in law enforcement alone would have made for a terrific read, but his personal battle makes this memoir all the more resonant. Some people say God is in the details, others say it's the devil. Cabezas's life story has both. --Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Sunburn Jim Cabezas' memoir is a first-hand account of the good and bad of the Baltimore Police Department. Nothing is sugarcoated as he describes scandals inside the department, dating back a half century. This book is a must-read for senior law enforcement leaders and young officers alike. Widely respected as one of the area's top criminal investigators, Jim Cabezas is an inspiration to those who share his passion to investigate corruption regardless of the consequences. --John J. McEntee, Jr. Retired Deputy Commissioner, Baltimore Police Department“In my half-century in journalism, I’ve never met a finer person, nor a braver one, than Jimmy Cabezas. He is unconquerable, and his life story is remarkable and inspiring. Joan Jacobson’s done a wonderful job telling it.”--Michael Olesker, Author and JournalistA riveting true-life story of a street cop who overcomes blindness to become Maryland’s chief political corruption investigator during one of the darkest days in Baltimore’s history – the downfall of Mayor Sheila Dixon. James Cabezas is the epitome of honesty and determination who represents the best in law enforcement. --Robert Rohrbaugh, Former Maryland State Prosecutor Read more