Federal appeals court throws out Scruggs deal (Mississippi)

Sun Herald ^ | July 15, 2009 | TIMOTHY R. BROWN

[Islander7]

JACKSON, Miss. -- A federal appeals court has thrown out a $70 million settlement brokered by convicted former lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs.

The settlement involved a dispute between the Republic of Venezuela and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems.

Scruggs, a chief architect of the multibillion-dollar tobacco settlements of the 1990s, is serving a seven-year prison sentence for conspiracy in one bribery case and mail fraud in another.

In a July 9 ruling, a three-member panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that a district court in Mississippi erred when it declined Venezuela's appeal of the settlement Scruggs agreed to in 2005.

Scruggs was the attorney for Venezuela .......

[Islander7]

The dispute began in October 2002 when Northrop Grumman filed suit against the foreign nation in federal court in Mississippi, claiming Venezuela failed to pay at least $200 million for extra work. In 2005, both parties agreed to mediation before a judge.

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I sold medical equipment to the Venezuelan government to equip one of the ships refitted in 1999. The check DID NOT bounce! ;-)

[Islander7]

Mississippi Ping!

[Jagman]

Whatever he’s doing now, he could sure play a mean banjo back in the day! :-)

[blam]

"Whatever he’s doing now, he could sure play a mean banjo back in the day! :-)"

That was Earl not Dickie.

[Southern Partisan]

As you know, Dickie is Trent Lott’s brother-in-law. What is that peckerwood up to these days?

[Mr. Lucky]

You got him confused with Warren Buffet.

[billhilly]

I thank you just got satirized.

[WKB]

Bless his heart

[Islander7]

Bless his heart

LOL! You should add a touch of TEF.

Bless his pea-picking little heart!