Lawyer Cooperating In Scruggs Bribery Case

An attorney has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe a judge and is assisting federal prosecutors in a case involving one of the nation's wealthiest trial lawyers, according to court documents.

Timothy Balducci entered the plea late Tuesday after initially pleading not guilty.

According to court records, Balducci was accused of delivering $40,000 to a judge at the behest of prominent attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs for a favorable ruling in a civil case.

U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee, in a plea agreement document filed with the federal court, said Balducci had already cooperated with the government in its investigation of Scruggs and would be doing more to help the government's case. Greenlee said Balducci had agreed to take a polygraph test.

The case before the judge involved a dispute between Scruggs and other lawyers over $26.5 million in fees from a mass settlement of lawsuits that homeowners filed against State Farm Insurance Cos. after Hurricane Katrina.

Scruggs, whose brother-in-law is Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., is one of the best known lawyers in the country. He reportedly earned about $848 million for his part in brokering a multibillion-dollar settlement with tobacco companies in the mid-1990s. That case was portrayed in the 1999 movie "The Insider," starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.

Scruggs and his co-defendants appeared in court a week ago and pleaded not guilty to six charges, including conspiracy and mail fraud. Scruggs' attorney, Joey Langston, did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Scruggs' son and law partner, Zach Scruggs, former Mississippi Auditor Steve Patterson and attorney Sidney Backstrom were also indicted in the case. Patterson, who is not an attorney, worked for Balducci's law firm in New Albany, Miss. The defendants deny the allegations.

Balducci and Patterson, who resigned as auditor in 1996 after lying on state documents to avoid paying taxes on a car tag, did not respond to messages left at their office.

Balducci pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bribe an elected state official. The charge carries a five-year sentence. No sentencing date was set and Balducci was released on his own recognizance.

Balducci is accused of bribing state Circuit Court Judge Henry Lackey earlier this year. When Balducci approached Lackey with a "bribe overture," the judge reported it to federal authorities and worked in an undercover capacity during the investigation, according to prosecutors.

Balducci was alleged to have said during one conversation with Zach Scruggs and Backstrom that "we paid for this ruling; let's be sure it says what we want it to say," the indictment says.

Richard Scruggs created a paper trail to disguise the bribe money as payments to Balducci for doing work on an unrelated case, according to the indictment.