All of this sounds plausible EXCEPT when it comes to DeLaughter’s actual ruling against Wilson, which according to people who were there, stunned everyone(except Peters and Scruggs, et.al.) that DeLaughter ignored logic; ignored reason and the recommendations of staff!  Remember he sent the ruling over to Scruggsies to approve, etc.  and in doing so applied for a federal judgeship!  Maybe, just maybe if he hadn’t have appeared “so accommdating” in letting one party of the suit see the judgement aforehand; as if to ask “will this get me that federal judgeship”? the case against him would be weaker.  Now the blanket is split between he and good- buddy Peters, and all are split with the other felons in a CYA dance.  When this is all over; when the hammer comes down, be it on either side, there will be a story to tell of the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing; jockeying and elbowing.  Meantime Wilson, the victim in spades, still waits for justice. So in conclusion: sounds like DeLaughter has a pretty weak defense owing to the confessions of Peters, et al. and maybe he should think about cutting a deal.

P.S. .... above comment. Memory is tricky but here .... what I needed to explain:  That the magistrate for DeLaughter had recommended that Wison be awarded $15 million and it was that complete turn-around by DeLaughter, without any substitive reasoning, that stunned everyone.  Keep in mind in the same situation the other partner, Alwyn Luckey, got close to this amount in the same presentation of facts, so it made this ruling all the more “out of whack”.  And now we know the rest of the story.

Of course, there was nothing requiring the judge to follow the special master or his own staff/law clerks.  Judges do that every day.  If not, there would be no reason to have the judge.

But in this case we all know better.