Scruggs Says Bar’s Complaint is Premature

Disgraced plaintiffs lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to reject a petition to have him disbarred, arguing that the effort is premature.

The Mississippi Bar Association recently asked the state's high court to strip Scruggs of his law license. Scruggs pleaded guilty March 14 to conspiring to bribe a judge, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports.

But Scruggs, in a motion filed Friday, is arguing the bar acted too soon and that it first needs a certified copy of his plea before petitioning the high court. No such copy has been entered at this time, and his guilty plea hasn't formally been accepted, he argues.

Additional coverage:

Sun Herald: "The Invisible Man"

Clarion Ledger: "Retirees stepping in for DeLaughter"