Mississippi trial lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who brought major class actions against property insurers after Hurricane Katrina, was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiring to bribe a judge.
In setting the maximum sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Neal Biggers Jr. in Oxford, Miss., also ordered Mr. Scruggs to pay a fine of $250,000.
Mr. Scruggs is known for bringing wide-ranging lawsuits, not only against insurers, but most notably the tobacco industry. He pleaded guilty to trying to bribe a state judge to decide in his law firm's favor in a case involving a $26.5 million dispute over attorneys' fees. (see NU Online News, March 14).
The state judge, Circuit Judge Henry L. Lackey, reported the $50,000 bribe to federal authorities and worked undercover to collect evidence against Mr. Scruggs and others in the law firm.
Mr. Scruggs' son, David Zachary Scruggs, pleaded guilty to charges that he knew of the scheme but failed to report it. He is expected to be sentenced next week (see NU Online News, March 24).
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