“And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!”
Just a few months after finally reaching a settlement with Dickie Scruggs in a lawsuit stretching back 15 years, attorney William Roberts Wilson has moved into the office space that once housed his nemesis’ law firm on Oxford’s Square.
“Ever since watching ‘Intruder in the Dust,’ I’ve wanted an office on the Square,” Wilson said. He had previously worked out of Tuscaloosa, but he said that, after a decade and a half of financial issues, he could afford to make the move.
Faulker’s Intruder in the Dust may have inspired Wilson. However, it is the similarity of Wilson’s story to what one source called the “social hyporocrisy” and “irresistible comedy” of Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper that comes to mind.
“Social hypocrisy” and “irresistible comedy” are so common on the Square that Wilson – a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows attempting to assume the role of the King of Torts – should feel right at home.
The government made his move even more affordable today when it settled Wilson’s claim to money the government collected from former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters, reportedly $285,000 of the $450,000 Peters forfeited [sic] for his immunity from prosecution. Peter’s immunity let him go fishing and sent former Judge Bobby DeLaughter to prison.
Wilson said he’s excited about living in Oxford. His wife is currently looking into buying a house in the area.
Asked if obtaining Scruggs’ old office was part of the settlement, Wilson said he could not talk about the settlement. “I gave my word, and I am a man of my word,” Wilson said.
However, land records show that Scruggs sold the office space to a Memphis-based law firm on Dec. 9 – three weeks after Wilson and Scruggs settled for an undisclosed amount of money in November. The Memphis firm then sold the office to Wilson on Feb. 3.
The records indicate Wilson did not obtain a loan to purchase the space situated above Ajax on the west side of the Square. Wilson would not answer questions about how he came to purchase the office.
According to Paul Quinn’s story in the Oxford Enterprise, “Wilson said he is mostly doing asbestos litigation.” If that’s the case, one day the government may get some of the money back.
h/t to Y’all Politics for links