Two Plead Guilty As Scruggs Case Widens

On Tuesday in US District Court in Oxford, Mississippi, former State Auditor Steve Patterson pleaded guilty to attempting to bribe state Circuit Court Judge Henry Lackey in an attempt to obtain a ruling favorable to the Scruggs Law Firm in a dispute over Hurricane Katrina litigation fees. Famed attorney Dickie Scruggs, his son Zach, Patterson and attorneys Tim Balducci and Sid Backstrom were indicted on November 28, 2007. Balducci has already pleaded guilty; trial for the remaining defendants is set for March 31, 2008. The AP has a story here and Alyssa Schnugg has more here in the Oxford Eagle.

In a separate federal case that is just beginning to unfold, it was revealed Monday that Scruggs’ former attorney Joey Langston has pleaded guilty to offering a bribe to state Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter on behalf of Scruggs; Delaughter subsequently issued a ruling favorable to Scruggs in an asbestos litigation fee dispute. Scruggs has not yet been indicted in this case; along with Delaughter, former Hinds County (Jackson) District Attorney Ed Peters has been implicated. Delaughter allegedly sought nomination to a federal judgeship by then-US Senator Trent Lott, who is Scruggs’ brother-in-law. Lott has denied involvement and has denied that his sudden resignation has anything to do with these recent legal developments. Oxford Eagle here, Northeast Mississippi Journal here, and a two-part look at Langston’s importance by Walter Olson at Overlawyered here and here.

The name of P. L. Blake has come up in connection with both cases. Blake is a mysterious political operative who has received $50 million in tobacco settlement money from Scruggs, for purposes yet to be revealed.