Insurance Coverage Blog

UPDATE:  As a number of people have pointed out, this post is in error.  Zach Scruggs' sentence actually began on August 15.  Sorry for the error, that's what you get for trying to blog from a cyber cafe in 20 minutes while the clock is burning minutes faster than a lawyer burns through a retainer. 

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This Sun Herald story by Anita Lee is a little old, but I'm just now getting back to some things I wanted to blog about before but didn't have the time for.  It says Zach Scruggs' prison sentence begins August 25 -- it had been scheduled to begin today -- and he will serve his time in a minimum-security federal prison in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the same place where Sid Backstrom will serve out his sentence.  

Just out of curiousity, I did some quick research on the Ashland, Kentucky prison where Dickie Scruggs is located.  Here is a link to a Bureau of Prisons website that talks about the difference between various prisons and their levels of security. Not tremendously informative, but since Ashland is a low-security facility, it indicates prisoners there are housed in dormitory-like settings.  I lived in a dormitory in college, where I was in a room with a roommate and there were communal showers and toilets, and I'm not sure whether this is what is meant by a dormitory, or if it is some barracks-like setting right out of Cool Hand Luke.  I also found this post on a website that discusses prison rules -- the most interesting thing about the site was that the post is by a state corrections officer whose fiance is a prisoner in a federal facility (hey, stick with what you know, I always says) --  but there is a little additional information about what conditions are like at the Ashland facility.

Looks like Mike Moore is still whining because Judge Biggers paddled him in the hall way and washed his mouth out with soap. What is up with the AG office in Mississippi and past/present members simply lacking the ability to shut up and take their medicine. Every time Hood or Moore spew their blabber, it is another embarrassment to the inhabitants of Mississippi. Excluding BS, of course.

In the matter of Mr.Scruggs, since he now resides in Eastern Kentucky, what is his status as a resident of Kentucky? I'm sure this is a silly question. It's easy to find, but I'm lazy today. That Scruggs is often on one end or the other of a lawsuit, he is also subject to lawsuits, so the question of prisoner residency service of process is a curiosity. Maybe it's simple. I don't know. I've known some very, very exceptionally talented lawyers who belong to "the millionaire" club, who have been high-profile, and one who botched his service to a corporation because his agent was foreign and had to go through the Secretary of State's office for perfected service. That cost the dude an appeal, a compromised case, and lots of money. Of course, most lawyers don't make that mistake. But, as it is, the prison "service" is bound to be based on residency, just as a college student from outside Kentucky is a non-resident, etc. So who's got the answer? A driver's license is set by State law. That's 30 days. Divorce is set by State law. That's 180 days. And there are exceptions. So, if you wanted to serve a complaint in Eastern Kentucky prison, I will guess that it should go through the Secretary of State. It may not just be a silly question, ya think?

I'm still confused about something Judge Biggers may have alluded to at Dickie's sentencing (and maybe Zach's, too): Did he say the tapes he had heard indicated that the judicial bribery scheme before him was not there first? Did he identify how many more, and did he call them by name?

The newspaper article may have gotten the location wrong. Previous reports had said Sid and perhaps Zach were headed to Forrest City, Arkansas. I wasn't able to find a listing online for a Fort Smith federal prison in the Wikipedia listing of federal prisons, but there is a Forrest City prison. The article says that Fort Smith is two hours from Oxford. That's not correct - Fort Smith is about six hours from Oxford. However, Forrest City, Arkansas is about two hours from Oxford. So... my conclusion is that they're really talking about Forrest City and not Fort Smith.

3rdSouth, I'm writing from memory and not from actual court proceedings, but I think Judge Biggers told Dickie Scruggs that his quick acquiescence in the Lackey bribery suggested that this was not Scruggs' first rodeo. Judge Biggers then stated that there was evidence that this was not Scruggs' first rodeo. My guess is that Judge Biggers was referring to Joey Langston's plea in that statement.

At Zach's sentencing, amidst the protestations from the exceptional defense attorney Mike Moore regarding Zach's guilt, Judge Biggers stated that he had listened to all the tapes and was convinced that Zach was involved in the scheme, even to the point of reading and editing Lackey's order. It was after that statement that Judge Biggers told the exceptional defense attorney Mike Moore that he would appreciate it if the exceptional defense attorney Mike Moore would sit down and shut up.

It certainly didn't help junior's cause when he got caught on tape saying get the order grammatically correct before some other a___hole (judge) gets the case. Zach Scruggs is a narcissistic prima donna...a little jail time might lengthen his saddle stirrups so he can climb down off that high horse.

Thank, NOMISS. Now, if you'd just get Judge Biggers to release those FBI audio tapes (not just partial transcipts) like he did the sentencing letters from Dickie's fan club (along with those from a few detractors), I'd be on my way to feeling less confused about other crimes Dickie may have committed. What does your memory suggest about allegations of improper contact with other Judges? Do you recall if Trent Lott was involved? If so, what are they alleged to ahve done?

Thirdsouth, as to other crimes Scruggs may have committed, my only clue is that Joey Langston had pleaded guilty to a crime that involves Scruggs. As to whether Trent Lott was involved in any crime, I don't have a clue and perhaps never will have. I would like to hear the complete FBI audio tapes also, but if I were to make that request to the court, I'm certain Judge Biggers would tell me to sit down and shut up.

A narcissistic Scruggs? How could that happen? Next you'll be accusing them of handling Katrina cases with an eye on their fees rather than what was best for the policyholder. You're surely not suggesting that the ones who settled with their insurance carriers and rebuilt (with or without counsel) are better off than the ones who are still waiting for Dickie to ring the punitive damage bell, from inside his prison cell, through the services of successor firms, are you?

David:

If you aren't going to even keep up on Rigsby events, why do you keep this blog running? What is the point?

Claimsguy, you make a point. Whether it is worth my time to keep doing this is something I will have to evaluate.

David, it is worth your time. Not everything has to be about Katrina, Scuggs, Rigsby, etc. There is actually plenty out there that is worth reading about and knowing about. I will scour for stuff for you to write about as well.

Please, David, don't abandon us to the wilds of dull, uninspiring and frequently ungrammatical prose!