Jackson Free Press

The Associated Press is reporting:

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs' law partner was sentenced to 24 months in prison and fined $250,000 today for his part in a conspiracy to bribe a judge.
Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest civil lawsuit attorneys in the country by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.

U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers Jr. called Scruggs' conduct "reprehensible" and fined him $250,000. The judge handed down the full sentence requested by prosecutors despite arguments from the defense for half that time in prison.

Previous Comments

ID

131261

Comment

Mr. Scruggs, whose work as a trial lawyer put Mississippi lawyers on the international map as very capable advocates for the poor against corporate America, is a perfect example of human nature - good and bad. I met him a couple of times and was impressed by his understated demeanor at trial except when necessay to be otherwise, and apparent concern for for the less fortunate, even criminal defendants, as he and the president of Ole Miss listened to me and others talk about criminal defendants facing the death penalty. I was touched by the fact that this rich man cared about people taking on the system of justice on behalf of people who couldn't pay for lawyers period, not to mention good ones. Unfortunately, I think he's also a perfect example of forgetting too much who and what you are, or, moreso, have become. Likewise, he's apparently guilty of letting the evil force of greed or money dictate his deeds. Richard Scruggs became a marked man once he took on corporate America and won. Marked men have to keep a clean booty. I learned that from Johnnie Cochran. Sustained winner, even if you won by nefarious means, can't continue winning by such means and go untouched or undiscovered or unpunished. This brings up something the judge said to Mr. Scruggs in the plea dialogue or colloquy that struck me. The judge said, " And I personally was shocked when I first learned about this situation with you and your law partners... And when I saw how - - when you were approached with this scheme, I saw how easily and quickly you entered into it. And it made me think that this perhaps is not the first time you've done it because you did it so easily. You didn't really take time to think about it." I hate to see Mr. Scruggs go down like this because he had the talent and finances necessary to take on big business and win. I was even happy to see him take on my old employer - Snake Farm. Sorry, I meant State Farm. Knowing them as I do, I bet they threw a wang dang doodle of a party in Bloomington celebrating Scrugg's down fall.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-30T08:31:05-06:00

ID

131262

Comment

I should add though that my greatest sympathy goes to the persons wronged by Mr. Scruggs and his crew, and I hope all of them regardless of position or staus are discovered and punished severely.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-30T08:48:41-06:00

ID

131263

Comment

I meant I hope the wrongdoers are caught and punished.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-30T09:08:59-06:00

ID

131835

Comment

Zack Scruggs finds a new home too in federal prison as Judge Neal Biggers gives him 14 months too and a $250,000.00 fine despite the prosecution's recommendation or offering of probation. Judge Biggers isn't faking the funk on the nasty dunk. I hope Judge Bigger gets all the cases involving lawyer bribes. Jude Roy Bean ain't got ____ on Judge "Get Jiggy With It" Biggers.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-07-02T15:16:35-06:00