Same old “CRAP” from the AG’s office! Just when will we get the truth from an office that should be truthful!

What is untruthful about that release?

I don’t know, TW.  It depends on what your meaning of “is” is.

I just didn’t think there was any ambiguity in that statement.  Maybe I’m not trying to connect the dots hard enough, but some things have legs and some things don’t.  It would be quite easy for someone to disprove this if untrue by looking at the court file.

It is interesting to note that he is saying that through surrogates instead of saying it himself.  If it is such a cut and dry matter, you’d think he’d be proud to go on the record himself.

If Langston is indicted, will Hood issue this press release: “The state’s case is being handled by an abstract entity that goes by the name of ‘the Langston Law Firm.’ Joey Langston has nothing to do with it.”

And, if Hood himself is indicted: “The abstract entity known as ‘the Langston Law Firm’ is working with the abstract entity known as ‘the Mississippi Attorney General’s office.’ Jim Hood has nothing to do with the matter.”

And I have yet to hear anything about Jim Hood’s campaign refunding campaign contributions from Scruggs, Balducci & Patterson.  Most politicians (especially law enforcement officers) who are faced with receiving substantial (or even unsubstantial) campaign contributions from those who have been federally indicted (and one who has already confessed) usually refund those contributions . . . no questions asked.

even Hillary has returned SOME contributions.

Change the topic for a minute to something that has very little to do with Hood.

I am curious about Sidney Backstrom’s background and what his position is in the Scruggs law firm. 

The rumor mill already has pegged him as being the next indictee to roll.  I have to assume he does not have near the wealth of the Scruggs family and that losing his license and spending time in jail would be devastating to his future and livelihood.

Does anyone out there know much about him?

DH

Yahoo (I don’t Google) Sidney Backstrom, and the first entry on your screen will be his biography at Lawyers.com.

In fact, the Scruggs Firm profile on lawyers.com states that a fourth lawyer (Scruggs pere et fil and Backstrom being the first three), David W. Shelton, is a member of the firm. I haven’t seen his name in any of the coverage.

Shelton is a cum laude graduate of both Millsaps and UM Law. He may be too smart to get caught up in an “unsophisticated” bribery attempt.

Now that’s funny.

Sidney A. Backstrom
Works at Scrugg’s law firm.  A 2007 finalist of the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, served on the Board of Governors for the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association from 1999-2001.  Bio states since joining the Scruggs Firm he has handled cases resulting in verdicts or settlements in excess of $100 million, including over 100 Baycol drug cases.

Woullard v State Farm
Memorandum in support of AG’s motion to intervene to enforce state court settlement agreement.  Use to be at http://www.ago.state.ms.us/pressreleases
/statefarm/motionmemo.pdf.  “..the Attorney General respectully seeks the Court’s permission to intervene, or to particpate in the February 28, 2007 hearing set in this matter.” Submitted 2/22/07 by Mary Jo Woods for AG Hood.  Of Counsel included William Liston Jr. of Liston/Lancater, Crymes Pittman, and Danny Cupit.  Certificate of Servcie includes Shawn Alexander of David Nutt’s office, Zach Scruggs, Derek Wyatt at David Nutt’s office, Sidney Backstrom of Scruggs firm…

Court Grants Final Approval to $423 Million, Class Action Settlement in Uninsured Pricing
Lawsuit Against Catholic Healthcare West
http://www.lieffcabraser.com/press_releases/
chw-press-20070111.htm
...The settlement benefits have been valued at approximately $423 million...Co-counsel Sidney A. Backstrom of the Scruggs Law Firm added, “We are pleased that the Court granted final approval to this settlement, which not only secures fair pricing for uninsured patients, but also protects them from unfair and overly aggressive collections practices.”....Lead Counsel for named plaintiffs and class members are Kelly M. Dermody of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP and Sidney A. Backstrom of the Scruggs Law Firm. More information about the settlement can be found at http://www.chwsettlement.com, or by calling the contacts listed below.

Sulzer Implant Settlement – 184.0 million in “professional services fund”
http://www.sulzerimplantsettlement.com/article9.htm

Vess v Ciba-Geigy Corp
http://www.casp.net/vess.html

First Alliance Mortgage Co, Henry, Lehman
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/
33DAA86C85AF72D08825723E005EE5E6/
$file/0455396.pdf?openelement

All I get from lawyers.com is that Backstrom is 38 years old and has been practicing since 1995.  Probably a “tiger” fan since he spent 8 years at LSU.

Since he was admitted to the MS bar in 1999, I have to assume that he has been working for Scruggs for no more than eight years.

For some reason, I don’t think the four listed in the Scruggs Law firm bio are equal partners.  I wonder if he is a partner at all or just an employee?

DH

Sid Backstrom’s now deceased father was a judge on the coast. Does anyone know if he was a chancery or circuit judge? I heard Sid started out at Scruggs Law Firm with a mighty hefty salary.

What I want to know is where are the real journalists.  Of course I am talking about Bill Minor, father of convicted felon Paul Minor - a trial lawyer, and Donna Ladd, protector of all things right.  Those two have not made a peep through all this.

wassupwidat?

I imagine that you will be hearing from Bill Minor at some point.

But he is probably being tight lipped for a reason. 

You may recall that Scruggs received immunity from prosecution and testified for the government in the Paul Minor trial.  Minor was eventually sentenced to 18 years.  As most people know, Bill is Pauls father and alot of negative journalism at this point would look like sour grapes.

DH

From Martindale on Sidney A. Backstrom
Practice Areas Civil Litigation; Class Action Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation

Education Louisiana State University, J.D., 1995, Louisiana State University, B.S., Finance, 1991

Admitted 1995, Louisiana; 1999, Mississippi; U.S. District Court, Southern and Northern Districts of Mississippi; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Memberships Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Governors, 1999-2001; Chairperson, Premises Liability Section, 2001-2003; Membership Committee); Jackson County Bar Association (Treasurer, 1999-2002 and Secretary, 2002-2003, Young Lawyers Division); American Inns of Court (Russell-Blass-Walker Chapter).

Born Hattiesburg, Mississippi, June 13, 1969

Reported Cases Walls v. American Optical Corp., 98-0455 (La. 9/8/99), 740 So.2d 1262 (La., September 8, 1999) (NO. 98-CC-0455); O’Regan v. Preferred Enterprises, Inc., 98-1602 (La. 6/29/99), 737 So.2d 31 (La., June 29, 1999) (No. 98-CC-1602); Curtis v. Rome, 98-0966 (La.App. 4 Cir. 5/5/99), 735 So.2d 822 (La.App. 4 Cir., May 5, 1999) (No. 98-CA-0966, 98-CA-0969. 98-CA-0967, 98-CA-0970, 98-CA-0968; Andry v. Murphy Oil, U.S.A., Inc., 97-0793 (La.App. 4 Cir. 4/1/98), 710 So.2d 1126 (La.App. 4 Cir., April 1, 1998) (NO. 97-CA-0793, 97-CA-0796, 97-CA-0799, 97-CA-0794, 97-CA-0797, 97-CA-0800, 97-CA-0795, 97-CA-0798); Gautreaux v. Rheem Mfg. Co., 96-2193 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/27/96), 694 So.2d 977 (La.App. 4 Cir., December 27, 1996) (NO. 96-C-2193); Reichert v. Bertucci, 96-1213 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/4/96), 684 So.2d 1041 (La.App. 4 Cir., December 4, 1996) (NO. 96-CA-1213).

And why does Amy Tuck get a pass on her loan from Dickie Scruggs?

I think at this point, we have all figured out what “loans” is a euphemism for, with Scruggs and company, and why they are never paid back.

From Balducci to Bal-Who-cci?
Sorry, couldn’t resist

The NE Mississippi Daily Journal has a new story up in which attorney Trapp specifically denies that Backstrom is going to plead:

http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=261982&pub=1&div=News

The reporter attributes the speculation to my website Overlawyered, though all I thought I was doing was alerting readers to Scott Horton’s having floated this rumor at his Harper’s blog.

Sid Backstrom is the son of a deceased circuit judge who served in the judicial circuit including Jackson County [Pascagoula - also Sen. Trent Lott’s hometown], Miss. Jackson County was “ground zero” for asbestos litigation in Mississippi beginning in the late 1970’s, and was Scruggs’s home base [and the source of his first wealth from representing plaintiffs in asbestos cases],until his relocation to Oxford just a few years ago. Judge Backstrom was on the bench for at least part of Scruggs’s meteoric rise, but I don’t know his exact tenure. Jackson County was one of the first of Mississippi’s infamous “judicial hellholes”; defense lawyers here almost universally believed they could not get a “fair shake” in his court, but whether there was any hanky panky going on is anyone’s guess.  The fact that a Backstrom is now practicing law with Scruggs is no surprise; very hard to believe that a Backstrom would flip on a Scruggs given the long & close ties between the families....

Frank Trapp, Sid Backstrom’s attorney, is one of the most respected white collar criminal defense attorneys in Mississippi. He is no Joey Langston; while circumstances can always change, you can pretty much take whatever Trapp tells you to the bank.

Can anyone tell us whether Judge Backstrom was the judge in which the tobacco case & fee issues was in front of?  The original decision on the $20M in monies pulled out of the settlement payments to fund the Partnership came through a court down there, I know.

I believe - but am not positive - that the original AG Tobacco/Medicaid lawsuit filed by Scruggs for Mike Moore was filed in Jackson County Chancery Court. A source who will know for sure is out of the office right now, but I’ll follow up.

Sutpens100, that Court (Jackson Chancery; Hon. Jaye Bradley) was the one that originally approved the money for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi so you must be correct.

Jaye Bradley was not the original judge.  The tobbaco suit was in front of Jackson County Chancellor Bill Myers (now on the court of appeals).  It was filed in Chancery court so it would not be a jury trial.  Former Chancellor Oswald was a key adviser.  The interesting twist was when the sole trier of fact was appointed by Gov Musgrove to the Court of Appeals. Musgrove was funded with trial lawyer money and his appointment rewarded the person solely responsible for the tobacco award.  Bradley was then appointed by Musgrove to take Myers place.  Interestingly, Bradley had previously been appointed by Fordice to a DA position.  I will say though that Bradley is a judge whose integrity is beyond reproach.

Sid Backstrom’s father was Circuit Judge James W. Backstrom. Judge Backstrom was appointed to the bench by Gov. Fordice to fill an unexpired term in 1993. He was elected & re-elected in 1995 & 1999, stepping down to practice law with a plaintiffs firm [Denham Law Firm] in Ocean Springs in 2003. Interestingly, he is listed as one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers, along with Scruggs & Johnny Jones, et al in some of the Katrina litigation against State Farm. Judge Backstrom died in 2006.