Judge Bobby DeLaughter was in leg irons and handcuffs when he was brought into Magistrate Judge Alexander’s courtroom to be arraigned on federal charges. The room went very quiet– the two rows of seats were filled with lawyers and some onlookers– and stayed hushed for quite some time while everyone waited for the proceedings to begin.
For an overview of how this case came to be, check out this post.
When prosecutor Bob Norman came in, he shook Judge DeLaughter’s hand and said, “Judge DeLaughter, I’m sorry. I’m sorry we’re here.”
After he waived reading of the indictment, DeLaughter pled “not guilty to all charges.” He is charged in a five-count indictment.
The trial is set April 6th before Judge Davidson, with motions deadlines of March 5th and a plea deadline of March 23rd.
His lawyer at the hearing was Cyntha Speetjens; at the end, Norman asked for a bench conference. There was a discussion between Magistrate Judge Alexander, Norman, and Speetjens, after which the judge announced that there was a possibility of a conflict with Speetjens, that another attorney would be appearing, and she would be allowed to withdraw.
The judge addressed the defendant as Mr. DeLaughter.
The indictment remains sealed at this moment.
“Mr. DeLaughter.”
Oof.
Yeah, but not as Oof as the leg-irons and handcuffs.
I share Bob Norman’s sentiments. I accept mediocrity as the norm for the state’s judiciary, but I don’t accept graft. We can do better. I think.
I tip my ballcap to the investigators and prosecutors. Keep ‘em comin’.
Is this the indictment to be unsealed “soon”?
Oh … wait a minnit. The indictment is still sealed? That has to mean there are still ducks on the pond. Won’t THIS be interesting.
Let’s see, five counts = 50 years.
Wilson, Eaton v. Frisby, Kirk v. Pope, Brown v. Woods, and Whatever I’m forgetting?
Someone tell how the indictment can still be sealed at this point?
Because not everyone named in it has been arraigned?
Lotus in 6:
I’m willing to bet all 5 counts have to do with different facets of the Wilson v. Scruggs deal.
A judge has to enter an order unsealing it. That could take a few hours UNLESS– as Ben Cole notes– there are still ducks on the pond.
Here’s Jerry Mitchell, reporting a $10K unsecured bond.
I was genuinely startled by the leg irons and hand cuffs. Anyone else have a reaction?
I was wonder the same thing NMC @11; I do no remember Dick, Zach, Sid, etc.. being in leg irons etc.. at their initial arraignment?
Okay, if it’s all Wilson but involves “other ducks” (sorry, ducky), which ones? Could, say, Balducci and Patterson cooperate their bestes’ and still end up indicted? Probably not, huh? So PLB and (gasp) Deb?
Lotus @ 8: Or arrested.
NMC 11, Greenlee’s shop is playing hard, hard ball, yes? DeLaughter must have REALLY pissed them off.
In need of a refresher. What did Hilburn have to do w/ the Wilson case? Anything?
Greenlee didn’t have anything to do with that– it would have been the US marshal’s people. I can only speculate as to why. No idea, really.
note the contrast in Norman shaking his hand and addressing him as “Judge” and the leg irons.
he probably PO’d the marshalls among others.
NMC, did you see Bruce Newman or other photographer(s) getting The Shot?
16: Read my long summary, ccvz. He had the case for close to a decade before retiring and handing it off to Judge DeLaughter.
As much as I know this cleansing is overdue and proper, what a trauma for Mississippi.
DeLaughter threw out a case in which I was a plaintiff. Scruggs was a consultant for the defense. Do I have any reason to be concerned and what would be my recourse?
NMC @ 11, don’t you know that in America today it is always “One Size Fits All.” That’s why a first grader with nail clippers gets expelled the same as a 12th grader with a switch blade. Since drug defendants, who are often minorities who are truly at risk of acting out in the court room, are kept in shackles, then 60-year old men like Dickie Scruggs and Paul Minor must be, also. It’s a question of “fairness” not common sense or measures individualized for specific situations.
lotus in 21: baptism by fire. Burns, but it’s a good thing. I still feel sick to my stomach though. I love Mississippi so much that it’s almost funny, and while I’m glad she’s getting a good scrubbing in this area, it just makes me so sad.
Could one of these indictments not be involing the Julie Hines Mabus case? Would that not be shummmmpeen.
Wow, Observer @ 23. That’s a little, um, poorly-worded. Surely you didn’t mean to say that minorities are more likely to act out in the courtroom?
Before Delaughter would absolutely hand it to a defendant, he would often say, “This court has no mercy”. We know he’ll never get to be a federal judge, but his desire to be one has granted him the occasion to be sentenced by one…who wants Davidson to say it?
Amicus @ 12,
Dickie & Zach were in handcuffs…not sure about leg irons (or the other two defendants).
Do we need to start a “Free Beckwith” campaign?…..oh yeah, nevermind.
NMC@11, that startled me, as well as started me thinking about the big guys and the little guys. I know it’s according to what can be PROVED, and I know we haven’t yet seen what they have on DeLaughter, but it makes me sad to see someone like DeLaughter go down, especially treated this way, and see the big senatorial fish swim away clean.
I know, I know. Still makes me feel funny. I hope they have more on him than just the word of some slimeball of an ex-attorney from New Albany, otherwise I’ll feel more than funny.
Remember, MSPolitical, when they used to arrest the prostitutes, but not their “Johns”? Hard to say between Lott and Delaughter, in this event, which one’s the John.
P.S. Federati@29, never mind is right. I don’t believe there are any appeals allowed by the judge where he is now.
Uhmmm, they have tricky Dickie’s guilty plea too, MSPolitical. Further, they have more than one slimeball ex-attorney’s word. DeLaughter deserves all that he has coming.
OMTL @ 26, yeah, poorly worded. I can see how you could twist it that way. The intent was clear, though — one size must fit all. No racial stereotyping was intended or meant. Remember why the sentencing guidelines were created in the first place? Same reason.
Before Delaughter would absolutely hand it to a defendant, he would often say, “This court has no mercy”.
Well, that makes me feel a little better. I remember my friend who was an assistant public defender (or some title like that) complained about DeLaughter on criminal cases.
Thirdsouth, that didn’t make me happy either, but I’m sure the *johns* back then were thrilled. I’m not having a hard time figuring out which is which, myself, just looks a little unusual in that the pimp went first. I think the hooker shut down the business just in time.
Observer, you’re a real piece o’ work today. “Twist”? Not a bit. OMTL was reading your plain English.
Remains to be seen, MSPolitical, @35. I’ve always heard “its a poor whore that can’t work both sides of the street” and one allegation you won’t hear leveled against this hooker is poverty.
Thirdsouth@38, I don’t have much expertise on hookers, but maybe you have the wrong person tagged with that one. What I do know is that the *pimp* usually ends up with most of the money.
And Bambi@39, I heard that Scruggs dealt in sweet potatoes. “Hey, bro, how’s yer sweet tater patch doing? I might know somebody looking for some extra special ones….”
Wot? Wot happened to the post by Bambi? She must have retracted it while I was writing, so now part of my post doesn’t make sense. Ack.
It went straight to the spam bin, MSPol 40.
Oh, in case you were writing your response while this happened, “bambii” is actually the long-banned “bellesouth.” The name-change didn’t improve her prospects for long.
I miss Bellesouth. She was a great shitcatcher in the old days.
To stick closer to the movie, maybe her handle should be “bambii’s mom.”
Ummmm, biting my tongue. Pillars of salt and other Biblical stuff.
In other news, Billey Joe Johnson’s death ruled an accident
ThirdSouth, I too miss Bellsouth, back in the day of The Hood.
I’ll be glad to send her your email addies if you want me to, mag and 3dS.
Hmm?
No thanks lotus, I’ve can’t keep up with (the Facts) let alone all the drama.
‘Kay, mag. Just thought I’d offer.
NMC: Just wondering what could the conflict be with Speetjens?
She’s done work for/with Peters I’m told.
MSPol: feds don’t even need the slimeball from N.A. on this one. Recall, this is the very bribe Langston plead guilty to months ago, and on the Information, mind you. Didn’t even wait to get indicted. Didn’t even get him a high-powered mouthpiece to strut around the Square proclaimin his innocence and how he looked forward to quicky and speedy exoneration. Langston spoke volumes by folding right off the bat. Hand-writing was on the wall from that day forward that something else was coming down the pike.
NMC: Even I gasped mildly at the leg irons. Was it last summer when DeLaughter got suspended? That’d be ‘SUSPENDED WITH PAY,’ I’m guessing (can’t recall the last time I’ve seen anyone on the public dole suspended without pay). Somebody tell me if it ain’t so, please; else, I’ll be getting all worked up about him pulling down his $100+K of your money and mine til the cows come home (the way he’s still standing, that could be awhile). After the feds took those 9,000 or so pages of his court records, after Langston went down without a fight, after they didn’t waste much time getting him off the bench, is it far-fetched to think they have anything less than a boatload of hard evidence against him? Oh, and that was before the piling on of late. Talk about getting your butt in a crack. I can’t find so much as a hairline crack for this butt. But, what do I know, I’ve put that LASIK off far too long.
No thanks, Lotus, at 48. She’s a car wreck I’m willing to slow down and behold for an instant, but not one I’m inclined to pull my truck over for, get out the folding chairs for, and break out the vie-eenies and crackers to watch, waiting for the paramedics to arrive.
3rd: You got that right. Any more than a quick rubber neck and that one’s got you tagged as a co-conspirator, looking for your private e-mail, ranting and raving from the top of the New Capitol (old one, or any other building for that matter). Nutjob from day one. Some folks had to close accounts, change handles, and go to all kinds of lengths to protect their identities when they let her loose here and over at YP. I savor the memory of the collective sigh of relief we breathed when the final curtain came down on that traveling lunatic show.
federati: you want to read some blood-curdling s*** about delaughter and peters? check out JFP’s 2005 feature on Cedric Willis. let me know if you come away with anything but the notion of prosecutorial misconduct at its finest.