Miss. judge told ruling could mean federal bench bid
Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter, who did not immediately respond to calls seeking a comment, earlier denied accepting any bribes and defended his ruling in favor of Scruggs in a dispute with other lawyers over fees from asbestos litigation.
However, during a closed-door hearing in federal court last week, a prosecutor said Scruggs dispatched intermediaries to tell DeLaughter that “if he ruled in his favor he would pass his name along for consideration regarding the federal judgeship.”
Former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters, a friend of the judge, later approached DeLaughter and “passed the information along” to him, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Dawson told U.S. District Judge Michael Mills in Oxford, Miss., according to a transcript of proceedings.
“The government would further show that, in fact, DeLaughter’s name was submitted for consideration for a federal judgeship, and DeLaughter was so notified,” Dawson added.
Sun Herald
1/17/8
Magnolia Tribune
