Scruggs case: 'This is going to be awful for all'

In January, Jones e-mailed Scruggs and SKG partner Sidney A. Backstrom, according to copies State Farm has filed in a lawsuit to stop Hood's investigation.

In the first e-mail, Jones said his firm had lost $2 million in revenue alone on the insurance litigation until his firm was "excommunicated" from SKG in December 2006. "And what member of the joint venture committed to the work on the chance he would simply be made whole?" Jones said. "Certainly none I know of."

Backstrom fired back: "... the whistle-blowers came to Dick and they were the sole basis for Hood's interest which really was 80 percent of why SF wanted to settle; Trent Lott and Gene Taylor signed up with our office, as did (U.S.) Judge (Louis) Guirola - that mattered big time to SF too... "

In the next e-mail Jones thanked Backstrom for his candor and said he didn't want any of the SKG partners to be shortchanged. Jones closed with this prediction: "I want to avoid this as bad as I need to be paid for committing 2½ years of my law practice to what Dick has asked of me, but if that is where it is headed this is going to be awful for all of us."

In March, Jones sued.


Sun Herald
12/3/7