Judicial Corruption in Mississippi?

When you think about it, it is hard to believe a lawyer with the savy of Dick Scruggs would have believed earwigging in Mississippi was "that wrong", that uncommon, or that a sitting state judge and the federal government would use the practice to lead a broken down, out of control lawyer, Tim Balducci, into a bribery sting.

It must have been common knowledge to the lawyers involved, as well as the judge, that earwigging was a common practice. And, that even though a violation of court rule and Rules of Professional Conduct, it was commonly engaged in. Witness Judge Lackey's agreement to enter an order ex parte on behalf of the attorney for the plaintiffs in the Jones Case to seal the file leaving it to be opened at the behest of the attorney who sought the sealing order.

Thus, I think the federal focus now must be to expand the the corruption investigation into the real problem in Mississippi -- corrupt judges and a climate of pervasive political use of the judicial system.

Suffice it to say, I doubt Dick Scruggs would be in the life changing position he is in today were it not for deep problems of judicial corruption in Mississippi.

Jefferson Davis, Mississippian

This morning I read the first few chapters of Shelby Foote's Civil War Narrative. I read about Jefferson Davis, his youth, his character, his desire to be a leader of his people, his tenacity and his heroism. Quite remarkable. We have little knowledge of the way in which realities impose themselves on character, even sometimes flawed character. As it is said, the line between good and evil shifts in the soul of every man. Every man! I find it more than passing strange people these days and in the Scruggs Litigation find it so easy to judge. I find it sad, and I find it immoral.

And, that is what I also want to say. What to we look for in the law, in judging? We want to have faith in the process and the people. We know there is an animating principle at work in the core of the process. So what is it? I listened to Abraham Lincoln's rebuttal to the speech Stephen Douglas gave about Kansas - Nebraska Act, the one he gave in Peoria, Illinois. The first response Mr. Lincoln gave to one of Douglas' speeches. What was the essential point? It was simply this, morality.

I particularly object to the NEW position which the avowed principle of this Nebraska law gives to slavery in the body politic. I object to it because it assumes that there CAN be a MORAL RIGHT in the enslaving of one man by another.

It was immoral to treat another human being as a chattel. And, that was it, and that was all.

Public Corruption in Office of US Attorney?

Last night's 60 Minutes piece on Don Seigelman raises concern about the US Attorney's Office. The question must be asked: Is the Office of the United States Attorney being used for political purposes? Is it selecting and processing cases which have political objectives rather than law enforcement objectives? Are the motives of the prosecution politics rather than law enforcement? Is the goal (a)the exercise of power or (b) the exercise of law enforcement and justice?

Such questions are extremely important when government actually induces conduct which is then said to be criminal. And, in the Scruggs Litigation, extremely important when a sitting judge in a particular case is used as a government agent to cause a person who comes in contact with the judge to accept a bribe the judge has proposed.