Second Scruggs Criminal Case Still Percolating

The “other” criminal matter involving Dickie Scruggs is the case in which Joey Langston pleaded guilty in January to bribing Judge Bobby DeLaughter via former Hinds County DA Ed Peters on behalf of Scruggs to influence the Wilson v. Scruggs civil suit. Prosecutors are referring to this case as “Scruggs II”. We’ve heard nothing recently until last week, when prosecutors filed a motion for downward departure from the maximum sentence permitted under Langston’s plea agreement. The motion was supposed to be filed under seal; it was inadvertently made public and quickly withdrawn.

While it’s no secret that Langston pleaded guilty (.pdf) and agreed to cooperate in exchange for a maximum sentence of 36 months, the withdrawn filing contained details not intended to be made public. Still, we can tell you that the case is very much alive (Clarion-Ledger, AP/Sun Herald).