Update: The Langston profile discussed here is now online and can be found here.. Thanks to Weird Harold for the h/t to the online link.
There have been a number of comments today about the piece in the Tupelo Journal about Joey Langston today. It is very dramatically featured– more than half of the front page above the fold has a picture of Joey headed “Good & Guilty: Joey Langston Wonders How He Will Face His Community After Attempting To Bribe A Judge.” The story then covers the front of a section and more.
And while the headline on page 1 is pretty good, the story itself is just a big, wet kiss for Joey Langston.
I am very aware that people in Booneville and elsewhere really like Joey. I want to hear from them. But that’s only half the story. The whole story goes like this: “Joe Langston’s hair dresser loves him. And he’s been operating as a pirate and got himself a lot of attention, money, and even some awards for operating that way. ” This story only describes the first part of the story. If a reporter can’t do the "he’s a pirate " part of the story, then the reporter shouldn’t do the puff piece part, because doing half makes the story a lie. A lot of evidence about the second part has come out– a lot more supporting “he’s a pirate” comments about Langston than there has that support the dark mutterings about P.L. Blake, for instance.
I am aware he has had a very good reputation as a court-room lawyer, a reputation his method-of-operating has sullied to the point of destroying it. That may be beyond the scope of the story (though, not really) but some sort of balance is not beyond its scope.
I really want to hear about the good side of Joey Langston, but I’m not buying into the godly-use-of-his-big-bucks thing one minute, and I only want it in the context of a balanced portrait of a human being. This human being has confessed under oath he has warts. Mentioning those in passing while talking about how much he’s loved is hardly portraiture.
I have not a legal mind. I have been wondering about sum’pin. How can anyone claim a 14 million dollar fee for filing a claim on the assets in a bankruptcy court?
NMC I once heard a pastor say pride is like spritual BO to the Lord. Your comments brought to mind this passage:
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything –all she had to live on.” (NIV)
Way to go Easy E(li) tonight by the way. Thank you for your humbleness through all the ups and downs this year….and example to all.
Think of the Journal story in the context of all stories – the people who know Joey do and they wanted the other side told.
The Journal is and always will be a community paper. I can only add, that if “Mr. George” had lived to write the story, I believe he would have ended with IAG’s last line of Scripture reminded readers they must now fill the gap – and then passed the hat!
that story is crap. the guy should go to jail for a long time. here’s hoping the judge “rejects” the plea agreement and sentences the guy to a longer prison sentence.
You must have bet on New England.
where/how did he fund his benevolent acts? If money is gained by fraud then given to a church, that does not absolve the fraud.
Wierd, I’m not an lawyer either, but I think the NY courts are used since MCI was a publicly traded co. (ie NY Stock Exchange) and it declared bankruptcy in the NY courts. MS state auditor is now saying that this is not a bankruptcy matter but a state matter.
You may like this story better.
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=265226&pub=1&div=News
Or maybe this one.
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=265227&pub=1&div=News
The two articles in the Tupelo paper this morning make it very clear that the MCI deal was not Joey’s idea but Quinn’s. See the above links.
Well, shoot, the Langston piece still not up on the website, huh?
jim, these two on Billy Quin are really interesting (and the end of the first one doesn’t say much for your MS Lege, does it?). Thanks.
The stories are interesting, although it has been widely reported that Quinn came up with the idea for the claim.
What I find interesting regards the bill “pushed through” the 1998 legislative session.
I think the article actually reads that World Com was able to get a bill through. Probably was pushed by someone–don’t you think?
Lotus,
No it does not. Smae bunch that has been keeping us dead last for 125 plus years.
Well, jim, I’ve never known of a state lege yet that did itself proud. But y’all’s is so whiffy, I can smell it all the way here to Flordy.
Here’s the “yellow brick road” This link will take you to all of the Finance bills that passed that year. Musgrove was the Lt. Gov and Bryan was Senate Finance Chair; Ford was Speaker and Williams was House Ways and Means. Looks like a north Mississippi story on the Legislation.
Look for the bills that say “Signed by the Governor”.
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/1998/Senate_cmtes/FI.htm
Damn sure does. Thanks NMC.
Since it was his idea and all, why did Quin need Langston involved with the deal? Did Quin go to Hood first and then bring Langston into the deal? It would be interesting to know if Hood directed Quin to Langston in order to help his buddy.
Hi, Fishy. Just kinda reading between-the-lines, I bet it was financing Quin needed most from Joey (& friends).
Hood directed Quin to Langston. The theory they would argue is that Quin needed the support for litigation that big. It’s an echo of the tobacco case, in which Mike Moore directed the lawyer who had the idea (Mike Lewis) to Moore’s friend Scruggs. The difference, though, is that Scruggs really had a large profile doing mass tort cases, and had connections in the community doing mass tort and tobacco cases. Also, the claim Moore pursued was very novel and very risky against a really serious opponent. Quin’s idea may have been novel, but tax claims litigation in bankruptcy (something, btw, I’ve never heard Langston did in any other case) is not exactly the same as taking on the tobacco industry with an entirely new legal theory.
I’ve read Quin’s account of this in the DJ today and I’m not buying, as you might have guessed from what I’m saying.
I wish I could get referrals from the AG’s office! Thanks for answering my question.
(Yes LOTUS, I’m on a different laptop this morning.)
NMC, I agree with you that Quinn’s reasoning for Langston joining the suit doesn’t pass the smell test. I’m sure that there are many others who could have done the same with better credentials. What has bothered me from the start is the coziness of Hood & Langston. I understand seeking a “fair wage for a fair day’s work” but how this all came to fall in Langston’s lap is where the questions arise.
I don’t think it sounds fishy, but IANAL. They say they needed financial support of up to $1 mil to pursue this case. Langston firm could afford to get it a go. Doesn’t it say, if they lost they would not get anything. That’s a gamble, isn’t it?
Wilson was asbestes who let struggling Scruggs in..Scruggs got Lott involved , who got the US congress involved….Thats a connection any banker will back..Moore had the STATE OF MISS, Scruggs, Lott, the US congress..MONEY..They didn’t need backers for money…They needed Pirates..Here comes Joey..I bet before Balducii, it was Joey who was going to all the Judges , this is why the family is telling it wasn’t Balducci who threw Joey under the bus..it was Patterson…It appears Pattersons connections are accounting, So goes the connections to PL BLAKE.
In reading the DJ article, I was not impressed with Langston’s benevolence. I have been to many community gatherings and small country churches where common laboring people put $20, $50 dollars in the pot for a friend or needy stranger. I have been amazed to see those same people go home to eat beans and cornbread for the next week because they cheerfully gave away a good amount of their food budget.
Therefore, I’m not impressed by Langston’s gift of $10,000 or $40,000 from his millions. Twas no sacrifice for him.
All are not happy about his removal of the church and gravesites either. It actually would have made more sense for Langston to have paid the full amount since the airstrip was for him, only him and his convenience. His act of forcing the church to be removed was an act of arrogance and selfishness.
The statement was made in the article that Joey has admitted he did wrong. But we must remember, Langston did not come forth on his on with that admission from a sense of guilt and conscience. He admitted he did wrong only after he was confronted with clear evidence that the feds could put him in prison for a long time and deprive him of his wealth. And that evidence must be very strong.
On the other hand, Langston has been an excellent lawyer representing his clients in the courts. He has been successful without Scruggs and friends and would continued to have been successful on his own. Too bad.
Like rotten mackerel by moonlight, it shines and stinks. …….. John Randolph
It has shone and stunk for a long time, but no one has been able, until now, to locate the precise source of it.
“I wish I could get referrals from the AG’S office” All you have to do is donate big bucks to the campaign….and have no interegy..Will do anything for MONEY and POWER.
small world, billy quin used to practice with mike allred. allred had ties to peters in the eaton v. frisby case. langston had ties to peters in the wilson v. scruggs case.
nowdoucit, had he lived, “Mr. George” would not have written the article in the community paper Daily Journal. Harry Rutherford wrote the articles then and was the editorial force at the community paper. And Harry Rutherford would have begun his article about Langston’s “benevolence” with Mark 12:41-44.
Oh, yeah, I forgot about that “I have to sleep at night” part.
bellesouth, the problem with this MCI settlement really was not that Langston was brought in to supply money to pursue the case against MCI. Mike Moore represented MCI. There was not going to be a case—just big money made.
Here’s the situation: You have AG Hood hiring his big contributor and friend Langston on one side. On the other side representing MCI is Hood’s mentor and puppet master Mike Moore. They are all in this together. It’s going to take no money to pursue this case because the parties involved(Hood, Langston, and Moore) already know what they are going to do.
I remember when I first heard of this case. Langston was representing the state against MCI for AG Hood . Mike Moore was representing MCI. I thought: “How hard is that going to be? They’ve got a little buddy system set up here. This case is done before it’s started, and each lawyer is going to make big bucks out of it.”
Does anyone know how much Mike Moore made from representing MCI in this case?
The “Good and Guilty” article is now available for viewing on the Daily Journal Web Site.
What was that saying that kids used to drive me nuts with?….oh…yeah…..Gag me with a pitch fork.
As always, just my opinion…..
nomiss, I did not know about Moore and MCI. Veddy inter — restingk. And here I thought, when you’re a lawyer you are supposed to represent your clients to fullest extent necessary for a favorable result for your client! Silly me.
It wasn’t about financing , It was all about KEEPING IT IN THE HOOD….Balducci had not been in the Hood long enought to be smooth as Joey..Its my understanding Patterson is or was what one would call a seuth sayer..He wasn’t in to clipping coupons but could tell who to approach or not approach , what divison, and what approach to use in bribery. He received one million for one trip to Jackson…and this is just one incident that has made sunshine….
s&fu, thanks for the tip-off.
Well, I can see how hard Patsy worked on this piece and imagine how appreciative many of her local readers may be. We’re a tougher audience, but I guess the DJ might have had in mind to supply a bit of an antidote to the blogs’ take on Joey.
I give Patsy A for effort (in the context of Tupelo and Prentiss County), but yeah, it’s NOT the whole story by any means.
I am just the son of a poor tobacco farmer that had proof he finished the third grade. I just keep asking questions. If the MCI case was worthy, why didn’t the AG office pursue it in AG’s office? Is the AG office in Mississippi office trying to create a Civilian Military Industrial Complex Office?
What is 100 millions dollars to the State of Mississippi? That would not keep the legislature in “whacky tobaccy” while they are in session for the purpose to increase the penalties for the individuals providing it for them.
Have you ever tried to get anyone at the AGs office to help you?
I think this article was a wet kiss from Patsy Brumfield to Joey Langston to make up for some of the “mean” things she as written aobut him.
One little omission in the article was the fact Langston was the reason for the runway extension. he needed to be able to park his jet closer to home. The 20 mile drive to Tupelo was just too much for a man of his position in life.
A mere technicalorie, JinTupe. Heh.
It might turn out Joey might be Joeys worst emeny. He needed to LAY LOW..Keep a low profile, This is stupid, now are we gonna have Balducci and Patterson on the front page with all their friends crying and saying what if, me and them are running buddies, talking about their dead relatives. This article was a given by Langston probably proof read it..Bunch a BULL>
Moore and Langston…nomiss and others need to be aware that MCI retained Moore only after they fired John Corlew, a buddy of Haley Barbour (who, in his prior lobbying role had represented the interests of MCI). Apparently, Corlew believed $100 million was way too much so the settlement negotiations were going nowhere.
Has anyone checked to make sure that this is even the same Joey Langston who tried to bribe a judge for one million dollars?
Were the only people that Patsy could find to stand up for Langston a hairdresser and a business partner/car salesman? It doesn’t sound like he has much support back in his hometown. I wonder how much Joey paid Patsy to write this article and if he supplied the people for her to interview.
All these great awards he has received for being such a great attorney will the organizations that give him the awards take them back after he has pled guilty. If someone is caught cheating in the Olympics they take the medals they won.
One of the awards was named after a lawyer who was known for: (1) Being an earlier leader in the Miss. Trial Lawyers and (2) Being disbarred from the Fifth Circuit for turning states evidence to testify about the bribery of the state banking commissioner. I always thought the honorably route would be to decline that particular award, but what do I know. As Mark Twain said about being tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail, “But for the honor, I would have rather walked.”
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