Reportedly Zach Scruggs has plead to the charge of Misprision of felony. More details as they develop.
Update:
Here is the breaking news C-L Story:
OXFORD — Oxford lawyer Zach Scruggs — the son of Dickie Scruggs, Mississippi’s wealthiest trial lawyer — pleaded guilty today to failing to report a felony in connection with a judicial bribery scheme involving his father.
Represented by former Attorney General Mike Moore, the younger Scruggs admitted he played a role in the $40,000 bribe paid to Lafayette County Circuit Judge Henry Lackey, who had reported an initial bribery attempt and was cooperating with the FBI.
Prosecutors are recommending three years probation. U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers has taken the recommendations under advisement.
In a recent hearing, New Albany lawyer Tim Balducci testified it was Zach Scruggs’ idea for him to approach Balducci’s longtime friend, Lackey, about ruling in their favor.
Balducci said he approached the judge last year and eventually paid him $40,000 in bribes to get him to rule in favor of Dickie Scruggs in a $26 million legal fees dispute involving a lawsuit against State Farm Fire and Casualties Co. on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims.
Zach Scruggs is the last the five indicted in the case on Nov. 28 to plead guilty.
The Sun Herald breaking news story:
Attorney Zach Scruggs pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court to a felony that stems from a judicial bribery case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is recommending three years probation for Scruggs’ plea. He admitted that he knew about a conspiracy to bribe a North Mississippi judge, but failed to report it. His father, Dickie Scruggs, and three others already have pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy.
The charge carries a maximum three-year sentence. Like the others, Zach Scruggs is expected to surrender his law license.
Sop, what I’m reading suggests Judge Biggers is inclined to by-pass on the recommended probation. We’re talking about a young man whose “crime” was not reporting what – that his father was “bribing a judge” or that a judge was demanding money from his father?
According to the news reports Zach said he did not know about the money, only the earwigging and having a draft copy of the judges order ie “corruptly influencing” the judge.
This really needs to be a seperate post but I’ll add, much to the chagrin of the Scruggs haters that I think the government is through with them. It makes no sense not to tie up all the loose ends with these pleas.
Speaking of the Scruggs haters there is no room for hate in the administration of justice. To the extent the system is satisfied justice has been served none of us in the peanut gallery are in a position to second guess these deals IMHO. That doesn’t mean it’s not already happening though, the Scruggs hating blogs and the C-L news story comments are already replete with the belly aching about the sentences not being good enough.
sop