Lawyers, Judges, Bribes & The State Of Mississippi

Anyone interested in a story involving high-powered attorneys allegedly attempting to buy off judges in the State of Mississippi, you can check out:

1. Federal Indictment - U.S. v. Dickie Scruggs, Zach Scruggs, Sidney Backstrom, Steve Patterson, Tim Balducci,
2. Scruggs case at a glance (The Jackson Clarion Ledger),
3. Prosecutor: Miss. judge told ruling could earn federal bench bid (Herald Tribume),
4. Another lawyer pleads guilty (Court papers filed point to Scruggs) (The Jackson Clarion Ledger),
5. Former Miss. auditor pleads guilty in judicial bribery attempt in which top lawyer charged,
6. Scruggs scandal update: Information in Langston plea,
7. Scruggs Nation, Day 48: center for news updates.

Lawyer Tim Balducci has already pleaded guilty to the bribery charges described in the indictment. He admitted he approached Lafayette County Circuit Judge Henry Lackey in March about taking a bribe in a $26 million legal-fees dispute involving litigation on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims. Lackey contacted authorities and began cooperating with the FBI. Eventually, Balducci told authorities he gave the judge a $40,000 bribe to rule in Scruggs' favor. The others named in the indictment have all pleaded not guilty.

Coincidentally, indicted high-powered attorney Dickie Scruggs is the brother-in-law of recently retired Mississippi U.S. Senator Trent Lott. knuckleheaded judges zeta