I’ve been following the Scruggs indictment over at Law Blog and folo while I’ve been busy moving. The short version update? The first concern of the judge who allegedly got bribed, Judge Lackey, was for the guy who was doing the dirty work of bribing: Tim Balducci. While a lot of people have a lot of respect for Lackey, it doesn’t sound like many people (besides Lackey himself) have much respect for Balducci.
This is all the more important since Balducci’s plea agreement makes it clear that Balducci has been assisting prosecutors for some time.
The government acknowledges the fact that the defendant has already substantially assisted the government within themeaning of Section 5K1.1 of the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual. Provided the defendant continues his cooperation and substantial assistance, the government agrees to file with the Court a motion for downward departure.
Perhaps that’s why Dickie Scuggs’ brother-in-law, Trent Lott, thinks that Dickie was caught in a sting.
Lott also suggested that Scruggs may have been the target of an FBI "sting," but he added: "I don’t know the facts."
[snip]
Lott said he has spoken to Scruggs, the husband of his wife’s younger sister, just once since the indictment. And Lott said Scruggs "is still my friend." But the senator didn’t offer any further defense of Scruggs, adding again, "I just don’t know."
Or maybe Lott got the notion that Scruggs got caught in a sting because of something Scruggs said in that one conversation?