Storied Miss. Lawyer Indicted, Still Partying

Famed Miss. lawyer may serve 5 years in bribery case

(NEWSER) - Dickie Scruggs, one of the nation's top class-action attorneys, entered a surprise guilty plea today in Jackson, Miss., to charges of conspiracy to bribe a judge, the Clarion-Ledger reports. Federal prosecutors said they would recommend 5 years in prison for Scruggs, who also faces a $250,000 fine. He pleaded guilty to attempting to pay a judge $40,000 to gain a favorable ruling. More»

Dickie Scruggs, others accused of trying to steer legal fees

(NEWSER) - Trent Lott's brother-in-law Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has been indicted on bribery charges for allegedly offering cash to a judge to steer legal fees in a Katrina insurance case, reports the New York Times. Four other attorneys, including Scruggs' son, also face charges. Scruggs is best known for winning a $248 billion settlement from the tobacco industry. More»

Class-action leader Scruggs 'could not be more ashamed'

(NEWSER) - Disgraced Mississippi lawyer Dickie Scruggs was sentenced to the maximum 5 years in prison today in a judicial bribery scheme; at the hearing, the class-action pioneer said, “I could not be more ashamed than I am today.” The judge hinted he might shave some time off if Scruggs cooperates with authorities in other bribery probes, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports. More»

Could the senator's hasty exit be tied to Dickie Scruggs?

(NEWSER) - There’s been much conjecture about why Trent Lott resigned five years before his term’s end—boredom, bitterness, eagerness to cash in on K Street—but now bloggers on both sides of the aisle are wondering whether a scandal involving his brother-in-law, Dickie Scruggs, might be behind the surprise exit. Scruggs' indictment yesterday for bribery on a Katrina-related case heated up speculation, Slate’s Tim Noah notes. More»

(NEWSER) - Louisiana is still finding coffins displaced by Hurricane Katrina three years on, the Wall Street Journal reports. Katrina and Rita moved 1,500 bodies from their resting places in the state's swampy south, where floating coffins during floods have long been part of local folklore. Hundreds remain unidentified, and they are still turning up in woods and water. More»