The WSJ celebrated the decision of a federal judge to request a U.S. Attorney to prosecute Mississippi lawyer Dickie Scruggs for criminal contempt. The crime? Providing the Mississippi Attorney General with a copy of documents that may establish fraudulent handling of Katrina claims by insurance companies.
The judge opined that the conduct violated his injunction against disclosure of the documents — a ruling that the Eleventh Circuit will review in due course.
Compare the Journal’s Scruggsian glee with its Scooterian outrage.
Blawgletter holds no brief for Mr. Scruggs, by the way, but we do marvel that the judge seems remarkably relentless in his pursuit of Mr. Scruggs. His opinion says, for example, that he will appoint a special prosecutor if the U.S. Attorney doesn’t act — taking judicial control over prosecutorial discretion. Zowie.
Barry Barnett