The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 11/28/8
One year ago today, one of America’s most famous attorneys – Richard “Dickie” Scruggs – his lawyer son Zach and three others were indicted on charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that they conspired to bribe Judge Henry Lackey of Calhoun City for help in a lawsuit over legal fees shared from Hurricane Katrina-related insurance cases.
Other co-defendants were their law partner Sidney Backtrom, New Albany attorney Timothy Balducci and his non-lawyer associate, former state Auditor Steven Patterson.
That day, U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee held a news conference to announce the indictments.
The Mississippi legal community was shocked, especially in Lafayette County, where longtime attorneys took the allegations as an insult to them all.
Magnolia Tribune
