Judge Biggers:
“This has been a lot quicker than I thought it would be.” Expressed appreciation to counsel for that. “As I said, Mr. Scruggs, this is a very unpleasant duty for me. He described other lawyers and professionals he sentenced. “Your case is the saddest of any of these others. These other cases– they all thought they needed money and were willing to risk their standing and profession to get money. You did not want or need money. You committed one of the most reprehensible crimes a lawyer can commit to get a better position. I don’t know why you did it. Some said greed. Some say you did it because you’d done it before and could to it again. I’ll leave [the question why] for others to ascribe. I just need to know that you did it.
He paraphrased the oath of an attorney and then said “You had the authority as an officer of the court to do powerful things.” He then quoted the oath. “You not only came to corrupt the court, you violated that oath. This is more serious from a lawyer than it would be from a man on the street.”
“I personally was shocked when I learned the situation. I was shocked when I heard the evidence.
“I saw how easily you entered into such an agreement and thought this indicated you had done this before. I have no doubt this is being looked at at this time.” Judge Biggers noted he is not considering that.
… “You picked the wrong man to try to bribe.”
“The court system has made you a rich man and yet you have attempted to corrupt it.”
Judge Biggers then talked about Scruggs’s family. At this point, Scruggs was shaken and Mr. Keker asked if Scruggs could sit down.
“There may be things you can do to help yourself in the future. People who are not lawyers are getting considerable money from a legal settelement.” [he noted that Balducci said that Scruggs knew where the bodies were buried. “If you want to uncover where the bodies are buried it might help you.”
Sentenced to 5 years, followed by 3 years supervised release.
Fine is $250,00 lump sum due in 30 days. “One letter writer said that sending you to prison would be a waste of the taxpayer’s money.” By ordering Scruggs to pay the cost of incarceration, “that will alleviate that concern.”
30 days to self report, and he will recommend Pensacola.
Update: Corrected lump sum amount to $250,000; I mistyped.
I understood the fine to be $250,000.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/06/27/breaking-news-scruggs-gets-5-years-in-prison/?mod=googlenews_wsj
“Fine is $30,00 lump sum due i 30 days” — ?
Typo there (besides the missing n, I mean — “$300K” maybe)?
Note the irony of Judge Biggers recommendation of “Pensacola” as the place for incarceration. The DOJ Bureau of Prisons does not have to follow the recommendation, but will take it seriously. The Pensacola facility is located aboard the old naval air training facility Saufley Field where many generations of naval aviators were trained — perhaps Scruggs himself!
It is not quite a “Club Fed” but is minimum security. My senior softball team in Pensacola used to play some games against a team of Saufley inmates (we were always the visiting team, of course). Some of the guys there are assigned to work details at NAS Pensacola — just a few miles down the Blue Angel Parkway. That, of course, is where Scruggs would have begun his training as a naval aviator. This time he will not have Officers Club privileges.
Interesting stuff, Habeas, thanks. I just hope that, for the Scruggs women’s sake, wherever they put Dickie, they also put Zach (if he’s to get prison time too). Their wives and children didn’t do this.
Frankly, I’m reluctantly admitting that I admire Keker for keeping the max down so low — that’s what he was hired to do and he did a spectacular job. I also admire Judge Biggers not only for doing the right thing (that’s expected), but also for doing it with enough flair to increase the fine to address so very witheringly the “waste of the taxpayer’s money” letter that was penned by a blithering idiot.
Uh-huh, 3dS. A particularly stylish smackdown of Khayat, wasn’t that?
Lotus (@6), I agree. I think that statement was a rebuke to Khayat.
Habeas @3: NAS Pensacola is where every Naval aviator, including Neal Biggers, entered Navy flight training.
Ben Cole @8: Roger that. Been there myself. I did not know that Judge Biggers also was a “brown shoe.” That makes the irony even richer. Thanks.
Ahhh but brothers/Sisters you missed the utimate irony. Guess who is also in Pensacola?Paul S. Minor. Guess he may get use of of those boxing lessions after all.
What a message Khayat sent to all the students in the Law School. He should be ashamed!!! I hope those students read Neal Biggers words to Scruggs during sentencing.
Maybe Judge Biggers & Lackey should oversee the ethics classes at Ole Miss Law School.
Oh my, Injustice – I didn’t think about that. Wow . . . that’s all I can say, just Wow . . .
More irony – Minor could get out, ala Seligman.
Maybe I’ll see Dickie when I take may kids to the IMAX at the huge museum on base. He’ll be taking up tickets, and I’ll offer him a bag of popcorn.
Did anyone take my wager?
"There may be things you can do to help yourself in the future. People who are not lawyers are getting considerable money from a legal settelement." [he noted that Balducci said that Scruggs knew where the bodies were buried. "If you want to uncover where the bodies are buried it might help you."
So does this mean that the Judge would consider reducing the sentence he just handed down depending on what Scruggs coughs up (and does it suggest that the feds are looking for something specific or just want to see what Dickie might offer up?). Can he do that? Is it a suggestion/warning about other charges that are being held in abeyance?
They call it a Rule 35 sentence adjustment, which more or less means providing substantial governmental assistance after you have been sentenced (substantial assistance before plea/sentence is called 5k1).
A little matter of a sentencing can’t kill folo’s new & improved servers!
ducky and supergreg, let’s see, who-all’s got the heebie-jeebies this afternoon? Peters, DeLaughter, Blake, Lott, maybe Biden, lord knows who-all . . .
Jeez, let’s NOT leave out Mike Moore.
DN, amazing how something called “caching” helps — ‘specially when we have notice that we’re gonna need to have it turned on.
Anyhow, W00T for our techies!