Recall that between Christmas and New Year, a proceeding styled “U.S. v. $425,000 in United States Currency” was filed in the Northern District federal court, saying that Ed Peters had that money and it wasn’t rightfully his.
Roberts Wilson has come to court and said “That’s right, because it’s mine.” Here’s the pleading where he asserts that.
The most interesting things about Wilson’s pleading are in a footnote and an affidavit which gives Joey Langston’s account of the reverse contingent fee payment Scruggs offered.
The footnote to Wilson’s pleading answers one question (did Langston get his cash?) while raising another– it states that, although the agreement would have given Langston $3M, Scruggs “ultimately offset other claimed credits against Langston’s $3,000,000″ but that Peter’s take was $1M.
So what about Patterson? (I’ve heard that the $1M was all that was paid). And this is the question: What were the credits on which Langston owed $1M or $2M to Scruggs?
The affidavit describes the scheme: That Scruggs would give Langston anything he paid less than $3M to Wilson. When DeLaughter zeroed out Wilson, Langston was entitled to $3M (although, as per the footnote, he only actually got $1M. So sad).
The pleading also outlines the events surrounding the rulings where DeLaughter zeroed Wilson out.
Patsy Brumfield wrote about all this in the Daily Journal. H/t to NoMiss for pointing to that article in comments.
Another great post! But I am curious about the use of the term “reverse contingency fee” as if it was “common usage” among ethical lawyers in Mississippi and elsewhere. In the context of this case it was “influence-peddling” and illegal. Call it what it was (and is) a “payoff” for doing something illegal by a co-conspirator and payee. Neither the payor nor the payee is “legitimate”, and I haven’t even addressed the Judge!
So unless I read this wrong, Peters was the only person to get paid. Is that correct? And that money came from Langston? It looks like Scruggs was going to stiff them all. What a nice guy and good friend.
AROD – the phrase Reverse Contingency Fee was probably coined in order to package the horrid scheme in a portable and understandable way.
DeltaLawMama: Thanks for the retort. But let’s start talking in plain English, like: Scum-bags and Roach-balls, and Mississloppy Judges who are “on-the-take” (not Judge Lackey) and lawyers who have made a habit of acting like they are above the law and can “game-the-system” with money and influence, and without any fear of retribution. Thank goodness that all of the “players” so far are white, because if this had “gone down” here in the cesspool called New Orleans, then “the race card” would’ve been played long ago. PLEASE send the FBI Investigators who have uncovered this “Mississloppy” sordid mess over here to the cesspool. Contrary to popular belief, “The water’s fine”, but only if you’re a turd.
AROD – Though I am a Delta native, I was fortunate enough to have graduated from Ben Franklin High School on Carrolton Ave, and I am hoping/praying that you get the relief you seek.
Arod, fear not little one, the FBI has been there since Katrina knowing that there was too much money for people from thr Big Easy to ignore and act ethically. There have been or will be many many maybe even hundreds of lawyers judges and poltical bosses indicted before it is over with. There are so many they to indict they are behind.