March 20, 2008, Jackson, Mississippi - A Mississippi judicial watchdog agency has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court on Wednesday to suspend Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter from judicial responsibilities while the agency investigates misconduct allegations made against the judge.

The misconduct allegations made against Circuit Judge DeLaughter include willful misconduct in office and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. Two cases are involved in the agency’s request for DeLaughter’s suspension: Wilson vs. Scruggs, and Kirk vs. Pope and Dixieland Products Inc.

In the Wilson-Scruggs case, former Booneville attorney Joey Langston admitted to involvement in an alleged bribery and conspiracy scheme. Langston named several other people he claimed were involved in the scheme, including Richard “Dickie” Scruggs of Oxford, former New Albany attorney Timothy Balducci, former state Auditor Steven Patterson and former Hinds District Attorney Ed Peters.

Dickie Scruggs, who built his reputation representing shipyard workers who had developed asbestos-related diseases after occupational exposure, had already pled guilty to bribery charges on March 14. Scruggs and a colleague, Sidney Backstrom, had both pled guilty to one count of conspiring to bribe a circuit court judge. The two had attempted to bribe Circuit Judge Henry L. Lackey, in exchange for a favorable ruling in a lawsuit focusing on legal fees in a Hurricane Katrina insurance case.

Now, it seems, Scruggs is involved in more bribery claims. According to Joey Langston, the Scruggs side of the case used the promise of a federal judgeship as to attempt to gain a favorable ruling in a lawsuit that attempted to divide legal fees from nationwide asbestos-related lawsuits.

The complaint to the Supreme Court also claims that Senator Trent Lott, who happens to be Scruggs’s brother-in-law, submitted DeLaughter’s name to the White House for a judgeship.

The State Commission on Judicial Performance has already said that DeLaughter should have recused himself and reported the incident.

In Kirk-Pope, Peters is accused of attempting to force a change in decision following Judge DeLaughter’s monetary judgment in the case.

Following the Wednesday complaint, the State Commission stated that it had voted unanimously to lay a formal judicial misconduct complaint prior to filing a petition asking for DeLaughter’s interim suspension.

Commission member Judge Henry Lackey, who happens to be involved in the judicial bribery case in which Dickie Scruggs had already pled guilty on March 14, declined to vote in the matter.

DeLaughter has thirty days in which to respond to the petition.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Asbestos Litigation, Mississippi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.