When I was a young lawyer in the 1970s during a hearing before Judge Maxwell the AUSA addressed each FBI agent who testified as “Special Agent”. I thought this was an effort to bolster the witness’s credibility.
When time came to cross examine the next agent who testified I asked if it wasn’t the case that all FBI agents are “Special Agents”.
The response I received was, “They are to their mother’s”.
The agent’s answer together with Judge Maxwell’s wry smile was a learning experience (be careful what you ask) that remains with me to this day.
