Part 6: Balducci and Scruggs, November
November 1st, Balducci goes to Judge Lackey’s office to deliver the last $10,000 and to get the order they were seeking from Judge Lackey. As he is leaving with the signed order, he is arrested and confronted. (SA) He confesses to conspiring with Dickie Scruggs, Zach Scruggs, Sidney Backstrom, and Steve Patterson to bribe Judge Lackey. (BP) He immediately agrees to cooperate with the federal authorities and goes to the Scruggs Law Office wearing a wire. (SA)
At the Scruggs Law Office, Balducci tells Zach Scruggs and Signey Backstrom “We paid for this ruling, lets make sure it says what we wanted it to say.” (I, SA) Balducci talks to Dickie Scruggs, who agrees to take care of an extra $10,000 payment to the judge and says he will “hire” Balducci to prepare jury instructions in an unrelated case to cover the $10,000. (SA, I). While Balducci is there, he, Backstrom, Dickie Scruggs, and Zach Scruggs have a ninety minute conversation. (MC2)
On November 2, Scruggs has his secretary an email sent to Balducci with the documentation of the extra $10,000 paid to the judge. Balducci goes to Oxford and gets the $10,000 and the cover letter and attachments about the jury instructions. (I, SA, D)
FOLO
2/17/8
Magnolia Tribune
