In this 61st episode of Bald Ambition, Mookie Spitz sits down with Barry D. Todd—a former Army captain and Army Ranger who learned, the hard way, what it feels like when the legal system flips the script on you. After being violently attacked outside an Arizona establishment, Todd defended himself, only to be arrested and charged before investigators even reviewed the video evidence. A months-long legal nightmare ensued that chewed up his life, his money, and his faith in “how things are supposed to work.”

Barry talks about his book Stand Your Ground, and lays out practical takeaways for anyone who thinks “it could never happen to me”: be careful what you say to police, understand the legal landscape, protect your family, and get the right kind of coverage if you carry—because the financial and reputational cost of being “right” can still crush you. Along the way Mookie and Barry talk about gun rights, self-defense, prosecution bias, due process, and the cultural paranoia that can turns any incident into a headline-driven morality play. 

What makes the discussion work is how Mookie and Barry agree on the basics—personal freedom matters, self-defense matters, government power can be sloppy or abusive—and then they do the rare thing: work through the details while actually listening to each other. 

The Guest

Barry Todd grew up a military brat, born in Millington, Tennessee, moving constantly before graduating from Fauquier County High School. He went on to serve more than two decades in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Captain in 2001 after assignments that included Ranger and Airborne units and postings with the 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, 10th Mountain, 2nd Infantry (Korea), and V Corps in Europe—experiences that sharpened his commitment to preparedness, responsibility, and honor. After the Army, he became a financial adviser serving military families, earned First Command’s “Top Gun” award three times, then founded BDT & Associates (later Invicta Financial Group) to serve clients nationwide. He’s been married to his wife Virginia “Cissi” Todd since 1985, and together they’ve built a big family—three kids and four grandkids—while Barry’s life and work have remained anchored in service, self-reliance, and the principle of standing your ground.

His Book

Stand Your Ground: https://standyourgroundbook.com/

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