Court Asked to Drop Charges in Mississippi Lawyers’ Bribery Attempt

U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee has asked the court to dismiss remaining charges against attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs and two others ensnared in a judicial bribery scheme.

One motion asks to dismiss the six-count indictment against Scruggs’ son Zach, who pleaded guilty to knowing about the crime but not reporting it. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Two other motions, filed July 24 in U.S. District Court in Oxford, ask dismissal of Counts 2-6 against Sidney Backstrom and Dickie Scruggs.

They pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a judge. Backstrom will serve 28 months, and Scruggs will serve a five-year sentence.

Five men were accused of attempting to bribe Circuit Judge Henry Lackey of Calhoun City. They sought a favorable ruling in a $26.5 million legal-fees lawsuit over Hurricane Katrina insurance case settlements.

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Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://www.djournal.com