Criminal Justice
Lawyer Pleads Guilty and Cooperates in Scruggs Case
Posted Dec 5, 2007, 02:53 pm CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Lawyer Timothy Balducci has changed his initial not guilty plea and agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in a judicial bribery case involving high-profile plaintiffs lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs.
Balducci has cooperated with the government and will continue to do so, according to a plea agreement filed in a Mississippi federal court, the Associated Press reports. He changed his plea late yesterday.
The plea agreement (PDF posted by the Wall Street Journal Law Blog) filed by U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee said Balducci has agreed to take a polygraph test.
The indictment claims Balducci approached Judge Henry Lackey and offered an initial bribe of $40,000 to resolve an attorney fee dispute in favor of Scruggs’ law firm in Hurricane Katrina-related litigation. The indictment also claims Balducci delivered the money while Scruggs’ firm created false documents showing the lawyer would receive money for jury consulting work.
The judge reported the bribe offer and cooperated in the probe.
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