Who Was on the Phone at Dickie Scruggs’s Office?
According to the Associated Press on January 11, 2008, recently filed court papers reveal that, between Sept. 26 and Oct. 23, 2007, authorities taped 14 calls that confessed former asbestos plaintiffs’ lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs bribery co-conspirator Timothy Balducci made to the Scruggs Law Firm in Oxford, Miss., Scruggs’ defense lawyers said. Articles on the Scruggs bribery case have been published in the Sun Herald and elsewhere.Scruggs’ lawyers say they want to know whom he talked to. Balducci, who was cooperating with investigators before a grand jury indicted him on Nov. 28, also visited Scruggs’ offices at the government’s direction on Nov. 5 and Nov. 19, according to Scruggs’ lawyers. The defense attorneys don’t acknowledge that Balducci had direct contact with Richard Scruggs during his office visits or the taped calls.Prosecutors claim Scruggs tried to conceal his involvement in the bribery scheme by pretending to hire Balducci to prepare jury instructions for an unrelated case. Instead, prosecutors allege, Scruggs was allegedly reimbursing Balducci for $40,000 in cash to bribe Mississippi State Circuit Court Judge Henry Lackey.
AsbestosLand
1/12/8
Magnolia Tribune
