Richard Scruggs
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Richard F. "Dickie"[1] Scruggs (born May 17, 1946) is a former naval fighter pilot, a prominent trial lawyer[2], and one of the richest men in Mississippi.[1] He first came to the public eye after successfully suing the asbestos industry on behalf of ill shipyard workers. He later represented the state of Mississippi in the tobacco litigation of the 1990s.
He was indicted for attempted bribery in 2007. He pled guilty in March, 2008.[3]
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[edit] Personal life
Scruggs was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, May 17, 1946. Scruggs grew up in Pascagoula, Mississippi,[1] and currently lives in Oxford.[4]
Scruggs and his wife Diane are ardent supporters of the University of Mississippi, having made large donations to several organizations on campus. Scruggs Hall, which currently houses the Music department, was named in their honor.
He is a former Naval fighter pilot.[4]
[edit] Education
Scruggs was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon as an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi. He also attended law school at the University of Mississippi[1], where he was classmates with Mike Moore, a close friend[2] who later became the Attorney General of Mississippi.
[edit] Legal career
[edit] Early career
Scruggs practiced law in Jackson, Mississippi and New York before opening his own private practice in Pascagoula.
One of his first legal victories was in representing workers at the Pascagoula shipyard who had become fatally ill as a result of exposure to asbestos fibers.[2][1] He later became known for his class action lawsuits against the asbestos industry.[citation needed]
[edit] Tobacco litigation
In the 1990s, Scruggs was hired by Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore to assist with a lawsuit against thirteen tobacco companies. Settlement of the state's case against the tobacco companies was for $248 billion. His performance in this case was portrayed by actor Colm Feore in the movie The Insider.[5] Scruggs himself, as well as his second home in Pascagoula, Mississippi, also appeared in the film.[2]
[edit] Ritalin lawsuits
A short time after the tobacco lawsuit, Scruggs led and became a spokesman for the plaintiffs in the Ritalin class action lawsuits. He asserted that the Ritalin defendants "manufactured a disease" and that ritalin "has been grossly over-prescribed. It is a huge risk."[6] All five class actions in five states were dismissed before trial.
[edit] Katrina litigation
Scruggs' brother-in-law is Senator Trent Lott[1], former Majority Leader of the US Senate (Scruggs' wife Diane is the sister of Lott's wife Tricia). Scruggs represented Lott through the Scruggs Katrina Group in a lawsuit against insurance company State Farm because of damage stemming from Hurricane Katrina.
Scruggs filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mississippi against numerous insurance companies to recover damages in wake of Katrina. On June 15, 2007, U.S. District Court Judge William Acker, in an opinion recommending that Scruggs be prosecuted for criminal contempt, suggested high pressure tactics were unfairly used to pressure the insurance companies into settlement, and that documents were improperly sent to Hood's office "for the calculated purpose of ensuring noncompliance with or avoidance."[7][8]
[edit] Bribery
On Wednesday, November 28, 2007, a federal grand jury indicted Scruggs and four others on charges that they attempted to bribe Mississippi Third Circuit Court Judge Henry L. Lackey with $40,000.[2][1] (Lackey himself was not implicated, as he was the one to originally contact the FBI about the attempted bribe.[2]) This bribe was allegedly in exchange for a favorable ruling in a case brought by attorney John Griffin Jones (of the Jackson, Mississippi, law firm, Jones, Funderburg, Sessums, Peterson & Lee[citation needed]) against Scruggs and colleagues regarding legal fees related to the Scruggs Katrina Group litigation team.[2]
[edit] Political activity
Scruggs was scheduled to host a fundraiser at his home for Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, on December 15, 2007, to be attended by former President Bill Clinton.[4] However, that fundraiser was canceled after Scruggs' indictment.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Fausset, Richard & Jarvie, Jenny (2007-11-30), “Katrina lawyer at the eye of a storm”, Los Angeles Times, <http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-scruggs30nov30,1,4570649.story>
- ^ a b c d e f g Treaster, Joseph (2007-11-29), “Lawyer Battling for Katrina Payments Is Indicted”, New York Times: C2, <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/business/29bribes.html>
- ^ Pettus, Emily. "Miss Attorney Pleads in Bribery Case", Associated Press, 2007-11-30. Retrieved on 2008-14-03.
- ^ a b c d Kunzelman, Michael. "Missippi Lawyer Accused of Bribe Attempt", Associated Press, 2008-03-14. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ Full cast and crew for The Insider (1999), IMDB, retrieved December 2, 2007
- ^ Texans for Safe Education
- ^ Primary court document 06-cv-01752-WMA Doc. 145 "Memorandum Opinion," June 15, 2007.
- ^ "Alabama judge seeks criminal contempt prosecution of Scruggs", Mobile Register, 2007-06-17. Judge Recommends Feds Prosecute Scruggs for Contempt, Wall Street Journal Law Blog.
- Richard Scruggs, Frontline: Inside the Tobacco Deal
- Music Department Facilities, University of Mississippi Web Site
- LA Times story on Lott's suit
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