Attorneys Disciplinary Charges

Kevin Kwak · #1 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 03:24 PM

This is a continuation of the Attorneys Disciplinary Charges blog entry. Here is a response from Itzel D. Berrío (Office of the Chief Trial Counsel State Bar of California) responding to the e-mail:

Quote:

Mr. Kwak:

Thank you for your electronic mail message. On May 15, he Board Committee on Regulation, Admissions and Discipline Oversight authorized the release of the attached proposed policy statement regarding the publication of notices of disciplinary charges on the State Bar’s website for a 45-day public comment period. If you wish to provide comments on the proposed policy statement, you may send your comments to me on or before June 30 using the contact information below.

Sincerely,

Itzel D. Berrío
Office of the Chief Trial Counsel
State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Fax: (415) 538-2214
E-mail: itzel.berrio@calbar.ca.gov

Kevin Kwak · #2 (**permalink**) 06-27-2008, 02:13 PM

Attorney Scruggs Gets Five Years
For Conspiring to Bribe Judge
Associated Press
June 27, 2008 12:07 p.m.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1214...=djemalertNEWS

Quote:

Mr. Scruggs, 62 years old, earned hundreds of millions of dollars and became one of the wealthiest tort attorneys in the country during a legal career that took him to the top of his profession.

Mr. Scruggs, the brother-in-law of former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, gained prominence in the 1990s as one of the chief architects of the $206 billion nationwide tobacco settlements. That case was portrayed in the 1999 film "The Insider," starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.

Attorney Scruggs, a prominent attorney with years of success in his resume knowingly attempted to bribe a court judge for $50,000. His attempt to receive a favorable ruling on a $26.5 million dollar Katrina Hurricane case did not fly and the court judge reported to the appropriate federal authorities.

Attorney Scruggs is now sentenced to five years in prison along with a $250,000 fine. Mr. Scruggs did not bribe the judge because of the prize money at the end of the case but more so to retain his winning streak and reputation. Too bad the judgment was against him.

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