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Hat-tip to Catty for Anita Lee’s lede story about Dickie Scruggs’s involvement with Paul Minor (and Mike Moore) in today’s Sun Herald, The Invincible Man. Here’s only one interesting passage:
… A mere two days after he testified against Minor, Scruggs met with associates in his Oxford office to discuss how they might unethically influence a state court judge in a lawsuit filed against his firm. Their conversation grew into a conspiracy captured on tape by the North Mississippi judge, who in the fall took Scruggs’ $40,000 as a confidential informant for the FBI.
“I think anybody who would experience that kind of protection or fortuitous circumstance would be emboldened by it,” said Clarksdale attorney Charles Merkel, Scruggs’ opponent in several long-standing and bitterly fought lawsuits. “I think he developed an air of invincibility, of somehow being above the law.” …
You’ll want to read the whole thing (and note the ironic sidebar re the MS Bar) …
“Here’s only one interesting passage . . .”
And they all are.. thanks for sharing the article. Always interesting here.
This story has the closest we’ve seen to a fixed date for the infamous meeting in Scruggs law office where Balducci was sent to contact Judge Lackey. Anyone know the exact date Scruggs testified in the Minor case?
I called these guys the “untouchables,” which to me, better describes their actions. In 2000-2002 I took my case to over 65 attorneys. Each refused to help, claiming “conflict of interest,” that to bring action against one of them was “professional suicide.”
Maybe, just maybe, these 65 lawyers didn’t think you had a decent case.
out of wind// Are you able to give us a glance into the relief you did or didnot get. Its my understanding Your Lawyer was Minor and he took 200k from you, and you couldnot get anyone in Moores’ office, MS Bar, MJP,or any lawyer in 2 years to take this on. Why is it I somehow believe you.
Very good article that correctly lies out of the timing of events and parties involved, as well as much of political motivation involved. Minor was a big potitical backer and friend of Hillary Clinton, Scruggs was Trents BNL. Rove could not risk losing Trent as Republicans only had a one vote majority in the Senate, and Moore would probaly take seat. Hence, Scruggs had to be protected. (Rove meet with Lampton three to four time about this case which eventually was run from DC. Why? This begs the question of what does Scruggs have on Lott? Tobacco maybe…..
NMC , Anita reports Scruggs testified on March13 and that “on or about March15,” the feds learned of the Lackey plot.
This is one of the scariest articles I have ever read. To think Rove was calling the shots, as he had done in Alabama, and The Mississippi Bar and The JPC acted as if nothing was going on, and Dickie was the Pimp Daddy with all the money.
Hmmm. The lawsuit was filed against Scruggs on the 15th. Interesting that this meeting was the first day. Perhaps that explains why on the first day they were hoping to get a summary judgment instead of referral to arbitration? (two loose ends about that meeting were– what exactly did Balducci come away thinking he was supposed to get? and when exactly did that meeting occur? I’ve posted about both). This would imply that Balducci waited almost two weeks to meet with Lackey, which seems doubtful to me. I’d bet the meeting was later than the 15th if I had to bet. I wonder what her source is.
injustice//Dunn Lampton’s role in the Minor case has been somewhat downplayed. He seems to have been VERY politically motivated as you point out. It’ s no wonder that after testifying against PM that Scruggs felt invincible. Lampton’s motive for going after Diaz was not only political, but personal, IMO, as Diaz had defeated Lampton’s friend and former crony, Keith Starrett for the Supreme Court seat.
NMC//Notice Anita carefully writes “on or about”…
mag, “very scary,” indeed! And Lampton either incompetent or corrupt, huh? And guess what ? Lampton’s uncle is a non-lawyer member of the JPC! Now how do you like them apples?
injustice, come again about Rove meeting with Lampton to protect Scruggs in the Minor case. Is that fact or opinion? If Rove couldn’t lose Trent as a Republican, why did Trent resign?
Anita Lee’s Sun Herald article has one part that I consider to be debatable. The article states that Mike Moore said that he just happened to be on his way to the court house when Dickie was supposed to be there to give his grand jury testimony so Moore gave him a ride and that he had promised Lampton that he would get Scruggs there early. Now that just sounds plain silly to me. Is Scruggs a child and Papa Lampton has to call big brother Mikey to make sure he get to school on time? Who ever heard of a US Attorney calling someone to make sure his buddy gets to the court house on time?
I was told by someone present that Moore personally delivered Scruggs to the grand jury testimony simply as a personal friend. Moore was hanging around outside the grand jury room, and the FBI agents asked him if he was there as a party to the investigation or as Scruggs’ legal counsel. Moore told them that he was there as Scruggs’ friend. The FBI told Moore that no friends were allowed, and he would have to leave. Now I was not present, but a very reliable source told me this account. Therefore, I sort of choked when I read Anita’s version of how Moore just happened to be going that way and decided to drop Dickie off to his grand jury testimony.
Sailor, I’m not sure how to take what you are saying about Lampton. Why do you think that Lampton was politically motivated? And just because Lampton’s uncle is a member of the JPC doesn’t mean that he protected Scruggs or was politically motivated.
Acting on the authorization of the Board of Commissioners of The Mississippi Bar, President Robert R. Bailess has appointed a Task Force to Strengthen Confidence in the Legal System. The charge of the Task Force is to “examine our legal system and make recommendations to ensure the honesty and integrity of the Bar and fairness and impartiality within the Judiciary.”
In light of the recent revelations of convictions and pleas, this could be as important a job as the Bar has ever undertaken. It is critical that the public has absolute trust and confidence in our legal system. The Task Force has been charged with the urgent duty to complete its work by this Fall.
Input from the Bench and Bar is essential to the work of the Task Force. The Task Force is seeking confidential comments form members of the Bar. Please submit your comments, suggestions and recommendations to MB Executive Director Larry Houchins at houchins@msbar.org . All comments will be treated as confidential. Before passing on to the Task Force all responses will be “cleaned” to remove names, addresses, etc
Please reply by Friday April 4 at the latest.
Thank You.
Nomiss, I am simply agreeing w/ injustice’s assertions of political aspects of the Minor et. al prosecution and pointing out some additional connections which help to explain why Scruggs apparently felt “invincible.” This is the first I’ve heard of Lampton meeting w/ Rove, however, but after what happened in Alabama, it sure sounds plausible.
It appears Anita Lee knows her stuff, have yet to see anything she has reported retracted. I’m wondering how Mike Moore keeps appearing in all these Judicial Sagas’ but stays clean as a whistle, and did this not start with The Mississippi Legislature changing the law to benifit Dickie Scruggs. What I am reading would Disgrace A Banana Republic and have Bush in Mississippi to make sure our demoracy rights had not been violated, So none of it must be true.
Sailor, I’m just still a little hungover from our comments on folo last night in which we thought that we were throwing around comments rather loosely about named persons being corrupt or protecting someone for personal or political reasons. And we have to think, is this libelelous or is it true?
I’m going to take a walk to clear my head, and I’m sure I’ll know all the answers when I return.
We’ll anxiously await your apres stroll insights. I don’t think I am being libelous by pointing out Lampton’s connections. They exist.
Sometimes we try to tie too many things together . . . we add 2 plus 2 and get 6 because we think it’s reasonable that the other 2 is out there. You keep thinking like that and pretty soon you can’t go to a football game without worrying that the players are planning something sinister everytime they huddle up.
My experience with the federal prosecutors on both ends of the state has been that they are no respecters of persons and that they charge those they think are guilty. Sometimes I see them as a bit overzealous but I don’t see them as cutting breaks based on politics.
As for the Moore thing, yes, he keeps showing up but nobody charges him. Could the reason he shows up be that he is friends with these guys and the reason he isn’t charged is that he hasn’t done anything? In my view his entry of appearance for Scruggs’s son pretty much indicates a clean bill of health – if it were not so why would he take on the guys who could put him in jail?
Finally, as to McRae’s comparison of Minor/Scruggs, I agree that Minor’s punishment was more harsh. But he bet the farm. And lost it. His situation wasn’t helped much by his alcohol related defiance of the court. Not condemning him but it’s not a fair comparison. You do better in the federal system if you accept responsibility.
injustice: tobacco money goes to Trent on a regular basis.
dd//Your guess is probably the correct one, and if indeed you are correct, then what my guess would be is Mike Moore is Gomer Pyle and has never gotten a blue clue that he was just being used as someone thats fun to hangout with.
Back around the time that Dickie testified before the grand jury in the Minor/Diaz/Whitfield/Teel case, there was a very strong rumor around Jackson, which I’ve heard a lot again in the last few months, that some kind of deal was cut that involved (1) no indictment for Dickie if (2) Mike Moore promised never to seek public office. I have always thought that rumor was baseless, but there are a lot of people who think there’s something to it. Who knows?
I’ve heard variations on that rumor.
Well, the reason to think the case against Diaz was political is that it was a transparently bs case. There can be no quid pro quo when the judge recused on every case involving those who were involved. There has never been any doubt in my mind that those prosecutions were tort reform by alternative means.
Sounds like a Rove deal: mike Moore never to run for public office again.. If its true Rove was involved, Im buying the rumor about Moore’s deal now more than ever. But I don’t think Moire made that deal to save Dickie, if there is such a deal Moore made it to save himself.
I’m with Rogerwilco on the Diaz case. I have a less well-informed opinion on the other two.
Roger that, roger!
Sailor 6. Actually most of the lawyers told me I had a good case against Minor and Guice.
Magnolia. The only relief I have now is knowing the criminals are serving time. Justice comes in many forms.
My story fills a book and the evidence fills a warehouse. I assisted Anita Lee early on in this case. Lee, at all times knew about my involvement with this case. A well respected investigative reporter was fired under her watch in 2000 for writing a story about my case and exposing Paul Minor and Judy Guice. From what I was told, after Minor marched his high priced attorneys in threatening to sue, the new editor got scared. What would you like to know?
Out of wind, I must tell you that your email today crossed lines with me, claiming things that either made no sense or that I know are procedurally impossible.
Though I’ve stopped believing what you write, I haven’t yet banned you from folo. But I’ll warn you that one of the quickest routes to that end is to keep repeating claims that you don’t back up with proof . . .
Iratetoday 14. Don’t count on the Task Force to clean up corruption. After the national media attention during the Diaz/Starrett campaign, the Mississippi Supreme Court had its chance to ensure the integrity of its judges in 2002-2003 when it revised the Judicial Code. Few know that the now public loans by Minor and Scruggs to Diaz were made in the 90 day post election contribution period. Adding to the problem, Mississippi judges are given months to file the CFR.
Minor and Scruggs must have known that no one rarely if ever asked to see Campaign Finance Reports ten months after a justice is elected. No one, that is, except me.
After months of publically campaigning for public comments during the revision – Guess what? The MSSC disappointed me and let down the public by INCREASING the post election period to 120 days. Yes, now those who want to buy judicial favors from their elected judges (or loan them money) have more time to do so. This causes almost a year delay in publication of who gave money to campaigns of state judges.
Left to its past history and its on self serving devices, I wouldn’t count on the Bar cleaning up its act.
Lotus. What proof would you like?
So there I was just sitting, less than a hair’s breadth away from clicking on the “Apply Here” button at the online legal course just so I could take her case….
I guess I was captivated by the fact that “65″ other attorneys had already turned it down, it being so iron clad and fool-proof and all. I just kinda figured it was a Sign from Above for me to go get my lawyer license and pick up the gauntlet of righteous indignation and charge the windmills of Justice. And then I woke up….
I gotta quit eating heavy foods before taking a nap.
Out of Wind, you are just wrong. Read the CFR deadlines. I still do not believe if you had a credible complaint that 65 lawyers would have refused to advocate on your behalf. I also don’t believe that Stan Tiner would have been intimidated by Paul. And know Ricky Matthews sure wouldn’t have been. Everything you contend raises my skeptical eyebrows!
I clerked for a federal district judge in Alabama a long time ago (he’s no longer a sitting judge). Someone called one day and would not let me off the phone. They were trying to file a pro se lawsuit and the clerk (because it did not LOOK like a lawsuit) was stopping from her filing it. She picked up on the fact that my judge’s office had said “no, you have to file it and let a judge decide whether to dismiss it” which meant they called us to tell us about their long sad tale. I got the call. While I was trying to get off the phone, the judge came looking for me about something else. I could not get off the phone. He grew impatient. He took the phone, listened a minute to the woman saying that she could not find a lawyer because all the lawyers were afraid to sue the federal government. The judge said: “Madam, the federal government gets sued in my court with monotonous regularity.”
I will say that it can be hard to find a lawyer to sue a lawyer. One reason is you’ve got three problems to figure out: Whether the lawyer is wrong, the client is wrong (or some combination that could go badly for you), AND whether the client really had a case to begin with. One of those goes wrong for you and you’re out of luck. It’s a version of the football coach aphorism about 3 things can happen on a pass play and two of them are bad.
Of course, I’m sure Out of Wind will tell me it’s not the reasonable understanding of self-interest I’ve just described but rather that the entire legal profession has circled around to protect Paul Minor, who last time I checked was going to spend over ten years in jail. The protection racket seems to have failed him on that.
Have to point out a few more factual errors from Out of Wind, then will no longer respond to her wild allegations. Go back and read the Diaz indictment and you will see the dates of the loans were well before the election. At the time the US Chamber was spending hundreds of thousands on behalf of Starrett and had ramped up their media buys. The loans were spent on media, if memory serves. Here’s the link http://www.magnoliareport.com/ID5.htm pg 20 paragraph 13 states that the Minor loan was in October. Anybody who questions the political nature of the Diaz prosecution should read Scott Horton’s article: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001232
Dear Out: you have never ever mentioned Judy Guice in your wild rants before now. Please lay off the allegations. Judy is a good lawyer and never implicated in anything. NMC/Lotus can you block this trash or what.
Although Paul was and is loved by many, he was also hated by many including, obviously John Ashcroft, Dunn Lampton, Karl Rove, etc.
I don’t believe any lawyer in the world would have been scared to sue Paul if there was a legitimate case to pursue — and God knows he had the pockets.
Also, Dear Out — Jane raises a good point. How is it Paul bribed the judge in your case while representing you and you got hurt? Do you understand that if Paul did in fact bribe the Judge while representing you — he would not have paid the Judge to rule against you. Give me a ripping break.
Sounds like you and Jimmie Gates need an anatomy lesson on the bribery statutes.
I thought Minor and the Judges spending the next 10+ years in prison were the bad guys. So, if in fact there is a political target and these guys were picked out of a line up, that makes the DOJ the bad guys and Minor, et al, the good guys.???
No. HailReagan. It means that Paul was not able to avoid being sued or being prosecuted as Out of Wind contends.
y’all are talking in circles and cycles as Jim says. But I can’t trust Scott Horton as far as I can throw him, too biased.
justsittinhere: This is an open forum. I’m not running it directly, Lotus does. As I understand it, she will let someone say their piece, then ask for proof. She’s gone that far with OutofWind and there’s been no real response. Next step is to say: “We’ve heard your message. Now stop.” After that warning, the user gets banned. That’s what happened to bellesouth.
This is my understanding of how Lotus operates. I’m a guest here just like everyone else, although if anyone crosses my understanding of Lotus’s lines when she’s not around, I’ll act accordingly. I think Jane has the same authority I have.
All that said, I’m not buying the things being said about Judy Guice, and I think have said so.
Delta Boy:
I have a different reaction to Scott Horton. I’d not so much accuse him as biased as being too willing to argue beyond the evidence. He’s reporting what he’s heard and what he’s inferred, and sometimes that catches up with him.
Sometimes if you have evidence that says: 1, 2, 4 and you infer three without more, you’re right, sometimes not. My taste is not to push as far as Horton does.
Yes you have. Thanks for the info, too. BTW — can you find another mystery story like the Dunbar child story? That was fascinating.
And sorry about the circles and circles. The problem is that the story we’re talking about– the Minor prosecutions– all went down way before we started blogging. To go back and catch up with all that would be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to complicated. I wish someone could. I’ve not the time to take on that particular byway now.
The Dunbar story is one of the most haunting stories I know. Matching it would be hard. That said, I’ll try. I hope the music stories I post scratch some of that itch; tomorrow is one about Parchman that I think will be interesting to the historically inclined.
Yes. the music stories are great. But I kept thinking about that Dunbar story. This couple comes home with this child and the whole family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins look at him and say, yeah that’s Bobby! He’s back! It certainly leaves one longing for more details. And what happened to the real Bobby Dunbar? Whew!
NMC I don’t want to wear out my welcome, it’s y’all’s blog, but your statement:
“I’d not so much accuse him as biased as being too willing to argue beyond the evidence”
I think is my argument.:)
The kicker was that he raised a family that was happy and had a good family life.
I’ll look for similar stuff. There’s an Oxford mystery of sorts involving the murder of a federal marshal in 1903 that I may try to post. I have a lot of research, but nothing on the computer.
Well, we’re in the same place then Delta Boy
I agree with NMC on this. Where would it stop? We’d be going back to the Lindbergh kidnappings too…or even better, the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg trials, a topic I’ve always found fascinating…and it ties into judicial “earwigging” or influence as it where, of the WORST kind if true. Since they were actually executed.
” The role played by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roy Cohn, the prosecutor in the case, is controversial, since Cohn stated in his autobiography that he influenced the selection of the judge, and pushed him to impose the death penalty on both Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.” ( http://tinyurl.com/ybduoy )
Whether the lawyer is wrong, the client is wrong (or some combination that could go badly for you), AND whether the client really had a case to begin with.
NMC
It’s my understanding that sometimes “whether the client really had a case to begin with. ” is the biggest hurdle – at least according to my attorney brother-in-law. The attorney may have made mistakes etc., but if the clients actual case had no real chance of prevailing on it’s merits from the outset then it’s pretty much DOA (at least as far as getting someone to take it on)
It’s my understanding that attorneys are not held liable for filing frivolous lawsuits if there is at least enough evidence/merit to warrant it in the outset. It’s my opinion that it’s truly during discovery that a case can be assessed to have merit and a more logical time for that liability to occur, but that’s a different discussion I realize.
And “It’s my understanding” is apparently my phrase of the day.
I tend to believe out of wind’s comment that she had difficulty finding a lawyer to file a case against Minor because the coast has a long history of GOB networks and political payoffs, and Minor definitely had connections with at least one of those networks. I would expect a lot of lawyers would consider it professional suicide to go against him.
I know of two recent situations in which the clients had difficulty getting representation. One was a child custody case against an assistant DA: nobody local wanted to file against him because they handled criminal court cases. Another was a former university house mother with a case against a family member of a top administrator, and she almost never got an attorney to accept her case, although they all admitted her case had merit. All said they had to make a living in the area and were afraid to go against the university. (The house mother told me that the university had already sent a representative to her to ask “what it would take to make the case go away.” I think she had that on tape.)
Anyway, if out of wind took her information to four law firms that had 10 attorneys and one firm with 5 attorneys, that could be considered 65 lawyers who refused to take her case, so I’m not discrediting her difficulty in finding an attorney to represent her. But neither have I seen enough proof on this blog to know what kind of evidence she had against Minor, except what was revealed in the USA vs Minor case. I get the impression that she provided information to the FBI in that case, but I’m not sure. I would like to see out of wind post more substantive information or proof so that we can evaluate her claims here.
Am I the only one who is looking at the quote in Anita Lee’s story regarding Scrugg’s comments to Jennifer Diaz. Sumarized….If Paul Minor doesn’t pay off the loan to Oliver and you, I will force him to by withholding TOBACCO MONEY…. as the smoking gun here? So, all the folks who got Tobacco money, and we only know who some of those people are; all those people are still “under Dickie’s control’”????? WOW….that could explain why some went to jail(see Lynn Presley, Paul Minor)rather than tell the Feds what they knew. Again, my broken record must come out….All of this goes back to Tobacco and unless the Feds are willing and able to do that, we will only skim the top of the pond scum.
catty, we share the same broken record: “All of this goes back to Tobacco and unless the Feds are willing and able to do that, we will only skim the top of the pond scum.”
I am reminded that former whistleblower Merrell Williams says the same thing (on the Rossmiller blog), and he is in a position to know. That’s why I think Mike Moore is not as clean as a whistle, as many think. In one of his comments, Williams states that Moore is still harvesting the wild grasses of the tobacco settement. I also think that if Moore was clean, he would be a candidate for US Senator.
Mr. Williams keeps mentioning Scruggs, Moore, and Barrett as the main Mississippi players. But from the Jennifer Diaz statement, it appears that Scruggs is the godfather who controls the treats.
So many times (like a broken record) I keep asking…Where The Frick is The Accounting company set up at? Is it in a State Building in Jackson Mississippi? Is it in a building in Oxford Mississippi? Is it in Mike Moores’ House? “ALL TOBACCO MONEY COMES INTO MISSISSIPPI AND IS DISBURST FROM MISSISSIPPI” What a DEAL? This is why Dickie is called The Pimp Daddy. Read Rossmiller today..Scarrry…
why has no one mentioned the fact that scruggs resolved u.s. district judge louis guirolas insurance claim even though denied based on the fact that water washed all of the houses away in that area. you can read in the recorded tapes from the fbi how they were pointing out dick got the clients with the clout to make them settle along with threat of indictment. every one should look at this judges history from moores office where he onceworked to just another scruggs/lott judge.
Brewski @ 59,
Someone HAS mentioned it…..you did ’bout 4 days ago, remember? Check this link down around comment #21. And thanks for not yellin’ at us this time around.
http://www.folo.us/2008/03/26/who-am-i/
Brewski,
I doubt you know what you’re talking about. Many, many claims were initially denied because, as you say, water washed houses away. After looking a little closer, the insurance companies often found that the wind did blow a little bit during Katrina. The fact that Judge Guirola was represented by Scruggs has absolutely no bearing on anything, and your innuendo is offensive. What do you contend that Judge Guirola has done wrong? Or do you just have an agenda?
Furthermore, brewski, see here and here.
Maybe a little research is in order before you start wigging out next time?
I have already seen here and here. As Backstrom said guirola mattered big time .I just think the file should be open to see how someone who does not have flood insurance compares to another nationwide customer like myself who does not have Moore/Scruggs/Lott threatning thru Hood for me. I had flood and wind and just finalized my settlement last week. I also think any judge with any link to this group of people should be looked at with a FBI microscope.
Yes rodgerwilco I have an agenda, to rid the judicial system of any judge bought and paid for with donations,favorable recomendations from your brother in law or any other favor to any one else for future consideration. also public officials should not have a settlement file sealed under this cloud of judicial chicanery.My file is not sealed. Do you want a copy?
That’s 3 times, brewski…..as in number of times someone (you) has mentioned Judge Guirola’s claim.
Oops! As I was typing, I missed #4!
What’s the basis of your allegations against Guirola?
First I am not making any allegations.I amasking a question. why seal the file of a public official with what we know has gone on with scruggs/hood/moore and others were the insurance companies are concerned. Second if a judge at any level is involved with scruggs does Paul minor have aright to know? You would have to agree that this judge has a long history with this gang of tobacco thugs. But do not take my word for it ,go to pascagoula and ask around.
Does anyone anywhere have an actual list of who got money from the Tobacco settlement?
And does anyone with a good memory or access to documents, have a list of those (in South MS)who went on to become a federal or state judge after the Tobacco settlement? This could be the template for things to come or where we all need to be looking.
This will be a waste of time, but here goes:
(1) The file is not sealed. You can go to mssd.uscourts.gov and punch in case number 06-408 and see everything that was filed.
(2) You made a reference to a “bought and paid for judge.” Federal judges don’t take campaign donations. State Court judges run for office, not federal judges.
(3) You state that you have made no allegations. That’s one of the many problems with your comments. You don’t make any allegations, you just smear with innuendo and statements like he’s associated with a “gang of tobacco thugs.”
(4) If by a “sealed case” you mean a confidential settlement with Nationwide, every settlement that has been made on the Coast, indeed every just about every civil settlement made now, contains a confidentiality provision. If Guirola’s settlement amount is confidential, it is at the insistence of Nationwide. If you settled your case last week as you say, you have a confidentiality provision, too.
(5) Who can I talk to in Pascagoula who can give me insight into Guirola’s association with thugs. I’d like to talk to that person.
(6) Because Scruggs represented Guirola, Scruggs had no Katrina cases, or any other cases, assigned to Guirola. How do you think the crooked stuff happened?
(7) Because Guirola is a judge in the Southern District of Mississippi, a special judge heard his case. The judge was from Michigan, I think. The reason his case settled before your case is that he filed early and had an early trial date. Settlements tend to happen with a trial date approaching. I assume you never filed suit, which is probably why your settlement took so long.
I have no special affinity for Judge Guirola, but your comments have to be rebutted. I think I have rebutted them.
rogerwilco, though it’s the case that some comments are better ignored, your reply to brewski was no waste of time. I feel pretty safe that I’m thanking you on behalf of many for that fine piece of teaching.
Once again, roger that, roger!
Judge Guirola’s first position on the federal bench was as a United States Magistrate Judge in Texas. He applied for the job and was hired by the district judges there. Trent had nothing to do with it. When a Magistrate position opened in Mississippi, he applied to transfer back here. Again hired by District Judges and in that instance would have been Judges Lee, Barbour and Wingate — judges with impeccable records. From there he was promoted to the district judgeship he currently holds. Sounds like a guy who was willing to work for the job and not rely simply on connections even if they are (and i don’t know if they are) what brewski says.
Thanks, rogerwilco. I don’t know Judge Guirola, but I’ve never heard anything about him other than that he is a good person and a fine judge.
Apparently hardworking, too, MS cuz he had to sell his sailboat several years ago . He just didn’t have time to spend on it.
Sailor, since I live smack in the middle of the state and have no sailing vocabulary, I say to you: “aye, aye.”
Actually, I did a little research for for justsittinhere, and it seems that Judge Guirola was actually recommended to committee by Trent Lott for his Southern District Federal Judge position. He was confirmed by the senate 3-12-2004 at 1:28am by a 92 vote for. So promoted is not actually the word I would use for his position. Also, after a few calls to people it seems that one of the people recommending him for the job was indeed Dickie Scruggs. After all it is up to Senators to dig around and decide what judge they feel they can recommend that will have success at making it out of the judiciary committee and onto the floor for a vote. We have also heard that Judge DeLaughter’s bribe or promise if you want to call it came in the form of a "for life " Federal Judge nomination. It is not a far stretch for brewski to feel like Judge Guirola may have received the same promise. And in some ways it does seem a little strange that Backstrom would make a statement saying how important having Judge Guirola involved in the lawsuit was to the settlement (Quote from Sun Herald, 12-2-2007).
Rogerwilco, Sailor, Justsittinhere,
Not to pile on the praise, but all of you were well-stated in your remarks. I deeply concur with all of ‘em.
I don’t know Judge Guirola or anything about him personally except that he was an assistant DA when Moore was DA. Considering Moore’s other close friends, if I were Guirola, I would distance myself from Mike Moore at every opportunity. There’s that old saying that birds of a feather flock together.
Sounds like you must have worked for moore also or maybe scruggs. I am sure you donot work for any of the insurance companies that wer threatend with criminal indictment if they did not settle.I think it is to late for this judge to seperate himself from Moore. I am sure he taught him all he knows like when to hire scruggs to do the blackmail and threatning with indictments like in the tobacco wars right?
brewski, you’re pushing the envelope. 78 alternates between incoherence and nonsense.
If you have something to back up what you’re saying other than your own unverifiable accusations, spell it out. Otherwise, cut it out.
I’m going to state my perspective, which is not completely eye-to-eye with Lotus but I hope close:
I think the best answer to speech is more speech. Say what we think is true and document it. After a point, I get tired of hearing the same unsupported crap. But still, the best response is calling folks on it.
OTOH, I don’t want to tolerate speech that could take down a forum I value. So I suspect anyone who is pushing my own-personal-envelope is getting darn close to Lotus’s too. With that, I’ll ask what she thinks….
Sorry NMC at some point in the near future all will be revealed. I hope you do not doubt any thing at this point were scruggs and hood and moore are involved.All we need is a dead body to get john grisam back to ms.
catty @ 56, who is Lynn Presley?
Well, I’m not much persuaded by dark muttering, brewski.
And this group of thugs have done more to damage MS. than the KKK. we are being publicly laughed at from sea to shining sea. DEFEND that and DEFEND them if you can.
moore defended presley to the end .and guess who helped?
Lynn Presley set jackson county back ten years and just got out of where a lot of the tobacco warriors are going PRISON…..
brewski, there was a commentor on Rossmiller’s blog named Southernmama who made some statements that Moore had threatened insurance adjusters or company officials regarding Katrina claims. I don’t remember exactly what she stated and I can’t find the post or comments right now, but Southernmama said she worked for an insurance company and knew first hand about Moore’s threats. That was her claim, and then she disappeared. Maybe you need to find her to substantiate your claims.
brewski, go to bed. Seems like you’ve had a few too many. ..
Morning, y’all. Rereading this thread, I got terminally tired of Brewski too, so he won’t be back. NMC, I prefer “more speech” as a remedy too, but only when it’s coherent.
Got another interesting non-Scruggs development to share with y’all, but I’m waiting for a couple of documents to add to the post (if they’re available for electro-transport here).
Catty #56 Been searching on my own to find The Pot of Gold..July 3, 1997 was The Tobacco Settlement Date…July 7, 1998 Moore announced 1/2 BILLION more for Mississippi. When this started it was tied to Mississippi Medicaid and How Many Medicaid enrollee’s were on the Books. Somehow,somewhere, We might just find its still tied to how many Medicaid ENROLLEE’S we have yearly to this point in time..If this is found to be true , it would explain why so much has been covered up. Being in The Beautiful Hill Country I know nothing about Coast Politics and wondered Why The Feds kept going after Paul Minor, since The only Thing reported locally was his Alcoholic Escapades, and That Dickie Scruggs’ was Trent Lotts’ brother-in-law. Having worked for Mississippi Medicaid at one time and had no idea where Jackson County was thought it was the pitts of hell because it appeared every body there was on Medicaid. Now will I find any corralation between The Medicaid Rolls and The Pot of Gold who knows, but I enjoy the Digging.
Go get ‘em, mag!