Mississippi Business Journal » judges

Madison County court to officially go paperless this month

MBJ Staff — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:37:32 +0000

CANTON — The County Court of Madison County will officially become a paperless system for filing civil court records June 29. The transition to electronic records in the County Court marks another milestone for Madison County, where Chancery and Circuit Courts served as the state’s first testing grounds for developing the Mississippi Electronic Courts system. Civil cases in [...]

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Trial set for ex-Rose Cancer Center doctor, billing agent

Associated Press — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:16:18 +0000

SUMMIT — An October 29 trial date has been set for a cancer doctor and a billing agent charged with health care fraud that includes allegations of using diluted chemotherapy drugs and old needles. Dr. Meera Sachdeva, Brittany McCoskey and Monica Weeks were indicted last August on charges including conspiracy and witness tampering related to [...]

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Ex-attorney faces up to 60 years in prison for embezzlement

Associated Press — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:00:30 +0000

RIDGELAND — Sentencing is scheduled for a Ridgeland attorney who has admitted to swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his former clients. Attorney Vann Leonard who practiced law out of Ridgeland faces 60 years behind bars and a $750,000 fine. Leonard has pleaded guilty to three counts of embezzlement. He’s admitted to misleading two [...]

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Hood: Ex-insurance agent gets jail time for fraud

MBJ Staff — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 22:17:01 +0000

MERIDIAN — A former insurance agent will spend time behind bars for fraud, according to Attorney General Jim Hood. The Attorney General’s Office Elisa Odom, 45, of Bailey pleaded guilty in Lauderdale County Circuit Court before Judge Lester Williamson to five counts of mail fraud and four counts of false pretense. She was sentenced on count [...]

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Agency wants judge suspended for allegedly fixing oyster fishing citations

Associated Press — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:51:53 +0000

BAY ST. LOUIS — A state judicial watchdog agency is asking the Mississippi Supreme Court to suspend a Hancock County Justice Court judge for ticket fixing. The petition was filed with the court by the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance against Judge Tommy Carver. The Sea Coast Echo reports the petition cites Carver for misconduct [...]

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Scruggs continues bid for overturning conviction; Backstrom’s sentence upheld

Associated Press — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:51:34 +0000

OXFORD — Imprisoned former attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs wants to take his push to vacate his 2009 conviction in a judicial bribery case to a federal appeals court. And a judge has denied a request to reduce the sentence of co-defendant Steve Backstrom The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports Scruggs filed a motion asking a [...]

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Court: Fees paid to private lawyers to represent state are public funds

Associated Press — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:07:15 +0000

JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled yesterday in two cases that legal fees paid to private lawyers to represent the state are public funds. Justices said because the money belongs to the public, it should’ve been paid out to the lawyers from the attorney general’s contingent fund or from other money appropriated to the [...]

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Coast city decides not to appeal decision on proposed annexation

Associated Press — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:27:43 +0000

PASS CHRISTIAN — The city of Pass Christian has now decided it won’t appeal a judge’s decision denying the city’s request to annex 5.4 square miles in Harrison County. The Sea Coast Echo reports the board of aldermen reached that decision this week after Mayor Chipper McDermott said an appeal would cost $60,000. Aldermen then [...]

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Appeals Court upholds Rainey’s insurance fraud conviction

Associated Press — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:27:00 +0000

SOUTHAVEN — A federal appeals court has upheld the 37-month sentence handed to Robert Rainey, a Mississippi man convicted of defrauding a Memphis insurance company. Robert Rainey and his wife, Elizabeth, both of Southaven, were sentenced earlier this year on charges stemming from a scam involving insurance checks totaling nearly $700,000. Elizabeth Rainey was sentenced [...]

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Judge rules: Scruggs’ judicial bribery conviction upheld

Associated Press — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:03:10 +0000

ABERDEEN — A federal judge has dismissed imprisoned attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs’ push to vacate his 2009 conviction in a judicial bribery case The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports Senior U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson yesterday dismissed Scruggs’ motion. If he decides to appeal, the matter would move to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court [...]

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