This morning, apparently just ahead of the motions-hearing-that-became-a-plea-hearing, the government filed a series of responses to the defense motions. Since surely it has to be assumed that they knew a deal had been struck and just had to play out in court, I assume these responses were all about making it clear that the government was ready to proceed should Zach get cold feet.
I wonder if the government had reason from earlier stages of the negotiation to think that Zach might tend that way.
The more this plays out the more I think that the brief Clarion Ledger report last Friday about Zach getting deferred prosecution was a defense-side trial balloon.
The responses themselves are essentially about saying: “We’ve been through this before. It’s been decided. Let’s go to trial.” There is some legal argument that gives the defense argument for a James hearing a pretty hard whack.
Here they are:
Government response to Zach Scruggs motion to continue
Government response to Zach Scruggs motion for a James hearing
Government response to Zach Scruggs motion about extrinsic evidence
I just had a good laugh.
I was zipping through some news sites and saw close to the bottom of the NYT another guilty plea in the Scruggs case.
I wondered to myself just how far behind the curve they were compared to you guys and started laughing even louder the farther down this site I scanned.
Way behind I’d say.
I know, busted, those poor kids missed almost ALL the fun. Guess they didn’t think they’d understand the accent.
That’s okay. We’ll just eat all these good swee-taties ourownse’fs.
NMC, I’m looking forward to reading those after supper, but thanks for this tangy appetizer.
Accent?
Whut axe ent?
LOL!
Lotus I was just wonderin’ with all the lawyers leaving the profession in MS lately, and my latent desire to get in reasoned arguments, (occasionally with people that are educated and smart, like frequent here) add another set of letters after my name and maybe get a chance to cook up a lotta sweet taters in the Caribbean, if I can apply for the Bar exam. My education specifically includes my lurking here and at Rossmiller’s, downloading/reading the many motions and replies and rulings surrounding these above styled cases and staying out of trouble. I already use a little Latin in my day job as physician, am highly ethical if not eccentric and can flash a little intellectual arrogance if need be. Why I was just reading the 10th Federalist paper the other day talking about the tyranny of the majority in a democracy vs a Republic.
It seems there are some openings locally in N MS and its not clear Ole Miss law school has the best ethical attitude…..
Not to belittle the Law because I can certainly out some of Medicine’s peccadilloes. Just sayin’
Please let me know.
George, AB MA MD FACR
“Since surely it has to be assumed that they knew a deal had been struck and just had to play out in court, I assume these responses were all about making it clear that the government was ready to proceed should Zach get cold feet.”
It’s called following through with the shot.
Swoosh – just net. Right before the buzzer.
Beautiful.
And the crowd goes wild.