State Attorney General Jim Hood said today it would be a conflict of interest for his office to file charges against several attorneys involved in a high-profile judicial bribery scandal.
Filing a state case now could interfere with a federal case that is already in the courts, Hood told The Clarion-Ledger at an editorial board meeting.
“I’m too close to them,” he said. “It would be like prosecuting my relatives.”
Leniency was key to 24-month prison sentences Friday for judicial bribery co-defendants Timothy Balducci and Steven Patterson.
It was Senior U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers Jr.’s first “slack” shown in the federal case, which has scandalized the legal profession and public, and brought down one of America’s best-known attorneys, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs of Oxford.
The two men, who lived and worked together in New Albany when they were indicted Nov. 28, 2007, were the last co-defendants of the conspiracy known as Scruggs I. They, Scruggs, his lawyer son Zach and a law partner pleaded guilty to varying levels of crime associated with the attempted bribery of Circuit Judge Henry Lackey of Calhoun City in the spring of 2007.
Sadly for Mississippi, Hood has not operated his office “beyond reproach” or else this, er, reproach would not be directed toward him. Even if he did everything right, it smells so bad that he has diminished the confidence of the people in his office. Consider this from the Legal Newsline coverage of the report:
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has seen several of his largest contributors run afoul of the law. Dickie Scruggs and Joey Langston are both in jail for judicial bribery schemes.
In the five years following Hood’s election in 2003, he hired at least 27 law firms to file at least 20 lawsuits, the report says. Those firms and their attorneys gave Hood $543,000 for his campaigns.
One of those firms is Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman, which was selected to represent a state retirement fund in a lawsuit against Delphi Corp. that resulted in a $333 million settlement and $40 million in attorneys fees.
The firm has given $149,056 to Hood since 2005. Hood also received $75,000 from Houston-based Bailey Perrin Bailey, which he chose to represent the State against Eli Lilly.
So you contribute to a campaign and then get a contract from the state and make millions of dollars. Some will say that happens all the time. You put in a bid, the application is reviewed, some independent committee picks the best deal for the state, and you shouldn’t be punished for contributing to a candidate.
The difference here? Jim Hood picks who gets the contracts. There are no bids. No applications. No independent review. The guy who gets the contributions is also the guy awarding the contracts. Like I said, maybe he did everything right, but it still smells and that alone brings the reproach.
Holbrook Mohr writes an excellent recap of Scruggs II for the Associated Press (hattip folo). The new characters, cast for this performance by Joey Langston, include former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters and Hinds Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter. Returning from the previous franchise will once again be Dickie Scruggs, former Mississippi Auditor Steve Patterson and New Albany attorney Timothy Balducci.
Balducci and Patterson have been cooperating with federal investigators and await sentencing.
A lot of people tracked down interesting connections between this gang and elected officials in the first Scruggs case. It will be interesting to see who else has political or financial ties to Balducci and Patterson and the others that comes out this time around.
I suppose many will say that Joey somehow lost his way. I disagree. [He has always been like this.]
No one in my forty nine years in Prentiss County has had greater impact on so many people that I personally know than Joey Langston. He has been a friend to all [hey, with friends like this] and an enemy to none. His heart is bigger than our entire county. His generosity to the people of Prentiss County will probably never be exceeded in my lifetime [unless other trial lawyers strike it rich]; not only his generosity of his resources, but by his generous gift of love and kindness to all who were willing to accept it [especially if it were a judge who was willing to accept his love and kindness]. He has been a friend [and a lawyer who would take a huge cut of a lawsuit] to the poor just as the wealthy. He has treated everyone with the greatest respect [except judges, the Bar, and the American system of justice]. I can hardly believe this tragedy [that he admitted attempting to bribe a judge] is happening to him and his family.
I recall so many times that I (as chancery clerk) have called on him to help pay hospital bills, buy medicine, pay school expenses, furnish Christmas gifts to needy children, even to assist in burial expenses for people in our county [and he didn’t even ask for a receipt]. Most of the times he never knew the people he helped [nor did I]. Several years ago there was a certain death of a young child, which as you know is devastating enough to a family in itself. Joey, knowing the family was not prepared to bury this child, much less prepared to pay six thousand dollars for a funeral. He discreetly stepped in to the office of the local funeral home and left a personal check to cover the expense for the family. He asked the owner to please not tell the family he paid the bill. There was no lawsuit to follow or any other personal potential gain to Joey. He just knew that he couldn’t bring that child back, but he could help in that way. When I approached him and suspected that he had done this kind act, he asked me to not tell the family that he had taken care of this.
This is not a man who has lost his way. He may have gotten sidetracked, [he may have even tried to bribe a judge, he may have committed a felony, he may have injured confidence in our justice system] but he hasn’t lost his way. I only wish that every town and county in America had someone like Joey Langston [and so do corrupt judges].
You watch the video, you look at the evidence, you look at Childers body language. Travis Childers is a Liar. The Obama Endorsement letter has been posted on just about every well read political blog in Mississippi and we have a screen capture here.
Does anyone really think that the campaign manager has not been on the internet in a week, nor did they bother to check to see if there were any facts associated with an attack ad that is running against them.
Notice Childers does not reject the endorsement.
Notice how he fidgets when he has to answer questions about it.
This is a really dumb move, the Davis campaign won this one boys, take your lumps and try to change the subject, we know when someone is lying and yall are full of it. Anyone think we can trust Travis Childers or his campaign manager anymore?
By Kenny Goode
The Banner-Independent
The pastor of a small, predominantly black, church in the Frankstown community said his congregation is prepared to fight eminent domain proceedings when the issue comes before a judge next month in Booneville at the Prentiss County Courthouse.
Court date is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. Plaintiff in the case will be Prentiss County.
“And we have retained Attorney Steve Farese of Ashland to represent us,” said the Rev. Henry Da-
mons of Ruben Chapel Church. The county will be represented by Attorney Frank Russell of Tupelo. Rev. Damons said the 240-member congregation of Ruben Chapel Church is resigned that their church, which was founded an estimated 80 years ago, will likely have to move to another location so the runway at the Booneville-Baldwyn Airport can be extended 1,000 feet. “Even though the church was there first and even
though it means some of the congregation’s deceased loved ones in the adjacent cemetery will have to be disinterred and moved elsewhere.”
He said the church has been a focal point in the community since 1925 with even earlier records indicating members attended church services nearby in a building known as the Lincoln School, which no longer exists.
Rev. Damons continued, “We also disagree on what Prentiss County officals are trying to give us, monetarily, for the property. We’d rather lose the church in court than to give it to these people who are supposed to represent all of Prentiss County.”
The minister said, if and when the church relocates closer to Baldwyn, the money offered by the county would not be enough to construct a new church. “We will be going into debt by probably $150,000 because of having to move.”
News of eminent domain proceedings were announced in a press release last week from Glen Green, president of the Prentiss County Board of Supervisors.
Rev. Damons said it was his understanding that quite a number of landowners were less than pleased with the amounts they received but he could only speak for Ruben chapel Church. “The law states the government has to give a fair market value and as County Board Attorney Joey Langston has stated so eloquently,’A fair market value is a fair market value in the hearts and minds of the jury’.”
He added, “I think the elected officials are trying to sell to the public that this is the right thing to do all in the name of progress. But, it’s not… It only benefits a few so we’ll leave it up to a jury.”
In his opinion, Ruben Chapel’s minister said he does not foresee any great amount of industry being brought into this area by the extension of the runway airports are the county needs to fill the in-
dustry facilities it already has first.”
The minister said perhaps the greatest issue, rather than getting enough money to rebuild, is regarding the removal of graves, which he estimates to be about 12
he added, “At the start of this, the negotiators wanted us to remove the graves. Some of those are unmarked and have been there a long time. You are talking about caskets which will have deteriorated and, in some cases, there will be nothing left but bones. It is going to be a horrific challenge.” And he disputes the county’s figures regarding number of affected graves and predicts if the project goes forth, that some unmarked graves are even likely to be blacktopped over by the runway itself.
He said all aspects will ultimately be aired in court – including his allegations that many of those involved in the proceedings have had a personal conflict of interest.
He concluded, “That is what we are going to do. I could not sleep at night if we allowed the county to bulldoze this congregation.”
ROM- This get’s worse and worse for Travis Childers the more we uncover, thanks to the great investigative reporting by BarneyFife.
The Banner-Independent is tough to find online so we appreciate that hard work finding this article, this is a killer, the pastor is on record saying that this expansion only benefits a few.
Travis Childers was the Chancery Clerk and Joey Langston was the Board Attorney. We have previously established their friendship, the fact that they were business partners and we have a lot of emails ect. that encourage us to keep digging because there is no doubt from the people of Prentiss county that this proceeding was pre-arranged and Langstons “gift” was the same kind of payoff that he is now infamous for.
Below are somewhat shocking photos of the Travis Childers and Joey Langston project to extend the Booneville Airport Runway so that Joey Langston (who was the board Attorney at the time) could land his 5 million dollar private jet. During the process Childers and the county bulldozed a church that sat on this spot and dug up at least 8 graves.
What gets me about these photos is that not only were some graves disturbed and relocated but now the entire cemetary is blocked off by the airport fence. Who wants to go pay respects in a graveyard when you have to dodge landings by trial lawyers private jets?
ROM- It appears that Travis Childers and Joey Langston partnered together or made a back-room deal to raze a church and re-locate some graves so Langston could land his $5 Million Dollar private Jet.
DJounal- BOONEVILLE – Negotiations have been under way for more than a year between Prentiss County and a church that stands in the path of lengthening the Booneville-Prentiss County Airport runway.
Having reached an impasse, county officials have begun eminent domain proceedings to acquire property where Ruben Chapel CME Church and a small cemetery now stand.
Trustees of the church have received papers summoning them to court in September, said the church’s pastor, Rev. Henry Damons Sr.
“We’re praying we do not have to go to trial, and that this be settled without going to court,” Damons said.
At issue is conflicting appraisals of the property by representatives for the county and the church.
The church’s appraiser, Jack Sabely of Pontotoc, has said the fair market value of the property is $285,000, although to rebuild will cost the church $340,000.
The latest offer the church received was $180,000 from attorney Tyler Moss on behalf of the county, and members of the church voted to not accept the offer.
“All we’re asking for is a fair market value, and they claim they don’t have the money to give us what we have as the appraised value,” Damons said.
Information was not immediately available as to what other property owners may be subject to the eminent domain proceedings.
However, Chancery Clerk Travis Childers said Friday that settlement had been reached with at least one other property owner earlier in the week.
ROM- So basically the county (Travis Childers) was trying to low-ball this minority church in order to lengthen the airport runway at the request of the Langston’s so they could land their private jet. Then threatened to seize the land through eminent domain when the congregation balked.
DJournal- Charitable donation The Rev. Henry Damons had a situation back in 2006. His Ruben Chapel CME Church and Prentiss County were at loggerheads over a year-long dispute.The county wanted the church property so it could extend the Booneville-Baldwyn Airport.It planned to take the property by eminent domain, raze the church building and relocate eight graves from the property.The problem was simple: The fair market value of Ruben Chapel’s building wasn’t enough to pay for a replacement facility. And so the congregation balked at the legal proceedings.Joey Langston broke the stalemate with a $40,000 donation through The Langston Fund, a charitable organization he and Tracie set up in 2002.Today, Ruben Chapel is about two months from completing the new building alongside Highway 45 on the Prentiss County side of Baldwyn.“Joey came through for us,” Damons said. “It’s a win-win for Prentiss County and the church.”He described Langston as a “kind man” who does a lot for his community. “Everyone is satisfied,” he noted. Besides his benevolence, Langston was interested in the case because his law firm has a large plane housed at the airport, although media reports late last week said the $5 million jet is up for sale.The plane has been used in the Corporate Angel Network, which ferries cancer patients to treatment centers across the nation.
ROM- So was this “charitable donation” really as charitable as reported or is this the same kind of operation that Joey Langston is now infamous for? It APPEARS that when Langston needed a longer runway he called his old buddy Travis Childers who was more than happy to bulldoze a church and dig up the final resting place of Mississippi citizens to make it happen for his old friend and business partner. Childers and the county also had the audacity to try and seize the church under eminent domain.
When the congregation balked at the low offer (too low to rebuild) Langston came in to “save the day” with a “donation”. My gut tells me that this was all worked out ahead of time between these “business partners” and “good friends” but of course we will never know.
Digging up graves, bulldozing churches, bags full of cash, private jets, pulled hamstrings, this is getting FUN!!!
Feel free to comment
-ROM
P.S. Bardwell our Hamstrings are REALLY sore after this one. Put us on the IR!!! Hopefully a real reporter can pick up where our resources (google, gossip and rumors) have left off and figure out what really went down.
“FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden in Jackson declined to say what the agents took when they executed a search warrant at Langston’s office early Monday.
Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers, who is close friends with Langston and his family, reacted to the search with some cynicism. “This is America,” he said. “People are supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but high-profile people sometimes don’t have that luxury.””
“Close friends” and business partners, seems like they may be closer than Oscar De La Hoya and Oscar the Grouch but I suppose everyone is 6 degrees apart anyway.
Right of Mississippi 
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