By D. Cupples | Mississippi media was abuzz yesterday. Apparently, powerhouse attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has been indicted, along with a few other lawyers, for bribing a Mississippi state judge. (See indictment) Scruggs is a brother-in-law of U.S. Senator Trent Lott (D-MS), who recently announced that he would be resign from the Senate before the end of the year. Lott has not been implicated in the Scruggs case. Mississippi TV Station WLBT reported:
"A federal grand jury has indicted prominent attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs and several other attorneys on criminal charges of trying to bribe a state court judge in a civil case.
"The indictment also charges two other attorneys in Scruggs' law firm, his son Zack Scruggs and Sidney Backstrom, with conspiracy. It says they conspired with another lawyer, Timothy Balducci and former state auditor Steve Patterson to bribe Circuit Judge Henry Lackey with $40,000 to enter an order in a lawsuit favorable to the Scruggs' law firm.
"In that suit, Jones versus Scruggs, the lawyers were fighting over how to split more than $26 million dollars in attorney's fees.
"The suit claimed that Scruggs was withholding fees in a Katrina insurance litigation. That suit was assigned to Judge Lackey in the 3rd Circuit District which encompasses Oxford and Lafayette county.
"Judge Lackey was cooperating with the FBI's Public Integrity Section in a scheme that began in March and ended a few weeks ago when the Judge received the payoff." (WLBT)
Aside from the brother of Sen. Lott's wife, who is Dickie Scruggs? The Crypt explained:
"Scruggs is perhaps best known for suing tobacco companies in multi-billion dollar lawsuits in the late 1990s. But he also acted as Lott's lawyer, as well as the attorney for many Mississippi homeowners, in a successful lawsuit against State Farm Insurance when the firm denied thousands of claims in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"Scruggs is perhaps the most powerful attorney in Mississippi, but is well known in Washington for his involvement in tobacco and asbestos litigation over the years."
See Memeorandum for other bloggers' reactions.
Related BN Politics' posts:
* Is Trent Lott Resigning so He Can Lobby?
.
* Hastert's Resignation Effective Last Night
Comments