Mississippi — Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest civil lawsuit attorneys in the country by taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.
Scruggs, 62, nearly fainted as the judge scolded him for his conduct, and people in the courtroom gasped as he swayed side to side. He had to be seated for a time before the sentence was read, but later stood back up.
U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers Jr. called Scruggs' conduct "reprehensible" and fined him $250,000. Scruggs will also lose his law license. The judge handed down the full sentence requested by prosecutors despite arguments from the defense for half that time in prison.
"I could not be more ashamed of where I am today, mixed up in a judicial bribery scheme," Scruggs told the judge. "I have disappointed everyone in my life."
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.
SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
He's a trial lawyer. Remember that.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
So, if you're ever charged with anything, will you just plead guilty, STRS?