by Associated Press Published: May 24,2012
Tags: bench, bills, courts, decision, estate, judge, judicial, judiciary, lawmakers, laws, legislation, legislative, legislator, Legislature, trust, will
TUPELO — A state judge yesterday ordered Rep. Brian Aldridge to pay more than $200,000 to his aunt, whose estate was plundered by his father who held her power of attorney and ultimately wiped it out. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports Chancellor Michael Malski ordered Aldridge to pay Florence Aldridge $218,355. Malski said that [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: April 25,2012
Tags: class action, courts, disaster, disastewr recovery, energy, environment, gas, habitat, judge, judicial, judiciary, offshore drilling, Oil, oil spill, petroleum, restaurants, seafood, settlement, spill, tourism, tourists, visitors, wildlife
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge in New Orleans is set to preside over a hearing on a proposed class-action settlement that would resolve billions of dollars in claims against BP over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP PLC and a team of plaintiffs’ attorneys are seeking U.S. District Judge Carl [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: April 24,2012
Tags: attorneys, bench, constitutional, damages, doctors, health, health care, injuries, judge, judicial, judiciary, law, lawyers, medical, medicine, physicians, ruling, tort, tort reform
CLARKSDALE — A state judge in Coahoma County has declared a legislatively imposed cap on non-economic damages unconstitutional. Circuit Judge Charles Webster issued the ruling April 20 in a 14-page opinion. He criticized the Legislature for intruding into judicial authority. Webster’s ruling came in a motion filed by Cleveland attorney Ralph E. Chapman in lawsuit [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: April 9,2012
Tags: animal rights, animals, judge, judicial, judiciary, law, seizure, tourism, tourists, visitors, wild animals, zoo
COLLINS — A judge has ruled that a January raid on a zoo in Collins and the seizure of animals there was unconstitutional. The Hattiesburg American reports Circuit Judge William Barnett ruled the seizure of the animals without notice to the owners or an opportunity for a hearing violated due process clauses. Barnett said Mississippi [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 27,2012
Tags: appeal, bench, bribery, conviction, courts, judge, judicial, judicial corruption, judiciary, trial
OXFORD — A former associate of imprisoned attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs has testified he opposed bribing a Hinds County judge because a friend of the jurist was feeding them information on a civil lawsuit over legal fees. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the testimony of Steve Patterson, a former state auditor, came Monday in [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 26,2012
Tags: courts, executive branch, governor, inmates, jails, judge, judicial, judiciary, last-minute pardons, pardons, prisoners, prisons, state government, state law
JACKSON — Attorney General Jim Hood has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that former Gov. Haley Barbour’s late-term pardons were valid. In a filing late last week, Hood asked that the case be sent back to Hinds County Circuit Court. Hood claims the Supreme Court’s March 8 decision, which effectively determined [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 26,2012
Tags: appeal, attorneys, bribery, conviction, corruption, courts, judge, judicial, judiciary, law, lawyers
OXFORD — A federal judge has denied imprisoned former attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs’ request to have outpatient surgery on his right hand while he waits for a hearing in Oxford. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports Scruggs’ doctor had said the surgery was important to relieve a condition causing Scruggs’ fingers to contract. A hearing [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 22,2012
Tags: acquittal, appeal, bench, bribery, conspiracy, courts, embezzlement, executive, health, health care, hospitals, judge, judicial, judiciary, kickback, law, legal, medical, medicine, nurses, nursing, scheme, sentencing, trial
BATESVILLE — A former Mississippi hospital executive wants a federal judge to acquit him or grant a new trial in an alleged medical kickback and bribery scheme. Raymond Lamont Shoemaker of Tupelo was charged last year with receiving kickbacks for nursing services, conspiracy, embezzlement and other charges last year at Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville. [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 19,2012
Tags: appeal, courts, homes, houses, housing, housing authority, judge, judicial, judiciary, real estate, trial
LELAND — The former director of the South Delta Regional Housing Authority is asking a federal judge to acquit her in a fraud case or grant a new trial. Ann Jefferson was convicted March 7 in federal court in Aberdeen on two counts of embezzlement, two counts of obstruction of justice and three counts of [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 12,2012
Tags: county government, courts, embezzlement, judge, judicial, judiciary, sentence, sentenced, sentencing, supervisor, suspended sentence
CORINTH — A former Alcorn County supervisor has been given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to embezzlement. The Daily Corinthian reports Danny H. Crotts entered the plea in circuit court to a criminal information. A criminal information is a formal charge made without a grand jury indictment. Circuit Judge Jim Pounds sentenced Crotts to [...] [...]