If I am Ronnie Musgrove, I am praying that Jim Hood continues his legal losing streak and that this election against Wicker be held in November.  Dickie Scruggs is politically radioactive right now, and Musgrove would have a hard time shaking him in a quick race.

Musgrove bad needs some time and distance from this scandal.  He is obviously very closely tied to Scruggs, and my sense is that there are more financial ties than what NRSC is reporting.

The Nation may have noticed I zapped the Langston thread.  I have nuked three or four comments from it.  It was going nowhere.  It’s gone.  Why don’t we work on something a bit more productive?

Alan, BINGO....one can only wonder what kind of “stuff” the Feds are gleaning from interviews and computer hard drives and email archives...old donation lists.....

Can Haley use that as a reason to appeal if he loses? “Yo Honnaz, I humbly ask that you reconsider...and in the alternative....ask the Supremes to consider that the low-down, dirty, rotten...........f

"The Nation may have noticed I zapped the Langston thread.  I have nuked three or four comments from it.  It was going nowhere.  It’s gone.  Why don’t we work on something a bit more productive?”

Oh it was going somewhere, Alan.  You “nuked” it because a couple of your boys were about to tell us the REAL reason they don’t like Holmes/Jefferson/Hinds jurors.

I’ve often thought that Jim Hood didn’t apply more tactical thinking to his decision to challenge the Governor on the November election date.  He may end up hoping he loses that one depending on what, and when, the next shoe drop is from the U.S. Attorney.

Lawdoc...it’s hard to thing “tactical” when you’re having to run for cover....not much “tactical” about a foxhole...or an office downtown.

Not that I was in your conversation this time around, but that’s an easy one there, Curt… this “boy” thinks less of jurors in those counties because they award civil verdicts based on robin hood principles.

quote by Curt:
<Oh it was going somewhere, Alan.  You “nuked” it because a couple of your boys were about to tell us the REAL reason they don’t like Holmes/Jefferson/Hinds jurors.>

Oh...........and what might that be?

This “boy” would also reasonably assume that a criminal defense attorney would think less of jurors in Rankin County because they tend to render verdicts based on lock ‘em up and throw away the key principles.

I’m glad you’re here Curt Crowley; you add so much to this board.

Well, in reading further on MusgroveFacts… I never realized that Musgrove received over $159,000 from Paul Minor.  That’s news to me.

MTC, Must-go would basically accept a wad of money from convicted felon Paul Minor, and then allow felon Minor tell him who to appoint to open judicial posts.  Pretty lucrative trick…

If I recall correctly RD, a while back you threw out a little tid-bit re:  Musgrove and beef plant and things to come… am I remembering correcting?  (Glad you’re back to full speed YP commenting again, by the way).

If I do recall correctly, are you ready to reveal more.. or are we still waiting?

Yes, you’re correct, MTC.  My source said that Ronnie was being looked at with sharp scrutiny, and I haven’t heard any different.  Though I hadn’t read it myself, I’d heard someone say, and maybe someone on this board said it, that the Sun Herald had reported that Musgrove had testified before the Grand Jury on the beef plant situation.  Then of course, Sid Salter blogged on the issue… we’ll see…

That’s about all I know at this point.

Well, work has kept me busy the last month or so, but I’ve had a little time-out, so I’ve caught up on the comments.

"this “boy” thinks less of jurors in those counties because they award civil verdicts based on robin hood principles.”

“jurors in Rankin County because they tend to render verdicts based on lock ‘em up and throw away the key principles.”

Dem, speaking of adding to this board, these 2 comments are exactly what I am talking about.  What FACTUAL BASIS do you have to support these statements?  And by “Factual Basis,” I don’t mean something you pulled out of your corporate ass. 

You can’t provide a single example of a Jefferson jury returning a verdict on “robin hood” principles, rather than the evidence and the law.  You also can’t provide a single example of a Rankin jury returning a guilty verdict based upon “lock ‘em up” principles, rather than the facts and the law.

It’s quite obvious to me you’ve never picked a jury, and never tried a case before a jury.  The extent of your knowledge of juries, at most, is either as a defendant or witness/employee of some corporation that got busted.  It’s obvious you don’t know what you’re talking about.  At best, you’ve been a spectator, and now spout off about juries like you’re Gerry F*****g Spence. 

You, sir, lack the education, training, experience and intelligence to make these insulting statements regarding Mississippi juries (Rankin, Jefferson or otherwise).

Bayer stock fell to almost $10/sh. about 4-5 years ago.
Baycol was the reason.
The lawyers at Bayer fought like hell to keep the trial out of Nueces County,TX and Jefferson County, MS.
The trial was held in Texas and the though it the ruling came out in favor of Bayer I was always curious why the legal team fought this.
One of our attorneys and a personal colleague said the system was fraught with corruption in these two counties.
I was told the juries were uneducated and easily manipulated.
I feel certain my colleagues in the legal dept. would not have told me this just for my entertainment.  They felt this to be real and acted upon it.
For Bayer employees this turned out fine and the stock (though no longer traded on the NYSE) is at 82 euros/sh.
Surely there must be a reason trials are targeted at certain counties in the US.
What could be the reason?

One cannot correct correctness, now can they, Curt?  You’re correct, I lack training and education.  Moreover, I severely lack in intelligence and I am naive to this world.  I’m merely an uneducated hillbilly deluxe, who couldn’t draw a valid conclusion with a sharpened number 2 pencil gripped in my neanderthal hand. 

Your position that no one knows anything about anything if they’re not a member of the Mississippi bar, is as preposterous as me saying that you couldn’t make a decision about which mutual fund to invest your IRA in because you never passed a Series VII exam. 

Get a grip.  Most people in Mississippi at this moment would tell you, that being a member of the bar doesn’t thrust you into some upper echelon untouchable sector of society, due to the antics of your ATLA colleagues, as well as the lack of self-policing that the esteemed bar itself has had in the last decade on its outlaw members.

It’s easy to tell when one says something that challenges the usually ficticious world that a trial lawyer revolves in, because you guys completely lose all self control and reason, and defend yourselves by calling the challenger names and attempting to belittle them.

You protesteth too much…

I couldn’t draw a valid conclusion, but even as uneducated and stoopid as you’ve written that I am, I could’ve written an acceptable legal brief on a paper napkin after your esteemed indicted bar colleagues—who you’d no doubt defend --bought a predetermined judicial ruling.

"At best you’ve been a spectator...” wrote Curt Crowley.

No, Curt, at my best, I’ve been whipping trial lawyers all over this state.

Check my record.

"is as preposterous as me saying that you couldn’t make a decision about which mutual fund to invest your IRA in because you never passed a Series VII exam.”

That would actually be a true statement in my case.  I can’t tell you the difference between Morningstar and OnStar, that’s why I let a professional in that field handle that stuff.  That’s also why you won’t hear me giving any opinions on investments.  I just don’t know enough about the subject to express an opinion.

I guess that’s kinda my point regarding your statements about jurors.

What judicial appointments did Govenor Musgrove get to make while in office?

Governor, that is.  Its late!

"your esteemed indicted bar colleagues—who you’d no doubt defend”

You let me know when you hear me defending them. 

And I’ll be happy to check your record.  Just give me a reference point.  And, by the way, I suspect that you and I might have similar opinions regarding some of the trial lawyers you’ve whipped.

Wrong, Curt, you stated that I lacked “intelligence, education, training and experience” to draw conclusions about the juries in question.  I grant you that I am all that you state and probably much dumber than you give me credit for, but I can still draw such conclusions.

I’ll be watching for a reference point to remind you of.

It’s too late to remember them all—Steve can help here...he’s our resident political historian.

However, I do remember him appointing Oliver Diaz, moving him from the Mississippi Court of Appeals up to the SCOM.  Musgrove also appointed William Myers to the Mississippi Court of Appeals to replace Diaz when he moved up a notch.

Judge Myers had been a Chancellor in the District that includes Jackson County --- which is where the tobacco lawsuit began, and where the fee issues as far as the Mississippi settlement and the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi was decided.

Not that I’m alleging anything here, these are just two that I remember off hand. 

A nice history project would be to go back and look at when judicial appointments were made by Musgrove and the time sequence as to when large contributions were made to Musgrove’s campaign warchest.  Similar to what Alan has done some with the DAGA contributions to Hood as far as sequence is concerned to Hood’s actions.

Curt, I’d suspect that your frame of reference as far as “whipping them” and my frame of reference as far as “whipping them” are rather different.  Your reference is singular, while mine is a plurality.  Your frame of reference is in revolves around a v., while mine revolves around V’s and SB’s.

When I arrived on their scene some years ago now, they were at the top of their game.  It didn’t take members of the bar to beat them, but rather people who weren’t.  Little did I know at the time how deep and complex their webs apparently are, nor how apparently dangerous it is to challenge them (see I am a bit naive to the world, as I said), given what we’re hearing about defendants in protective custody.

I can assure you that all of the major trial lawyers know me by name and by reputation.  And they know they’ve been whipped.  Not on their field, nor yours, but on mine.

My rule: You can get a yea or nay on my bio from Alan.

You mean the guy that said Rudy G would win the GOP nomination? lol.  I will stick to google.

Curt: I’m obviously no attorney. You questioned who I am and what I’ve brought to Mississippi’s table on another thread (and I told you how to get the information) and now you do the same to others on this one. When I initially invoked the words Holmes, Hinds and Jefferson, it was from the perspective of John Q. Public and what I witnessed.

I sat in a courtroom in Holmes County a few years back for days on end while Mr. Infume first picked a jury and then pursuaded them of the innocence of one Mr. Culp who, along with his compatriots, friendlied up to a Texas man and beat him to death and permanently shattered the head of his young wife who was pregnant at the time. That was only one of several Holmes trials I endured from the gallery. Same occurred in Jefferson and Coahoma for your information.

There was no way that particular Holmes trial would have turned a different verdict. It was, as you trial lawyers say, in the bag. Same with the drug verdicts and Escalades that suddenly populated the streets of Fayette.

It’s unlikely that you are correct in your tantrum and that the others are wrong in their experience and the links that speak to the issue of minority juries. By the way, don’t play the ‘R’ card with *me*. This slice of reality has nothing to do with ‘R’. I am still of the humble opinion that had the county where Joey lives been 85% the other way, there would never have been a guilty plea.

And Alan, I see no reason to nuke this comment as it appears to be right on topic.

Actually, it’s not on topic.  Not at all.  This string is about Musgrove taking $92K from Dickie Scruggs.

I had to nuke a couple of posts that made some pretty sweeping assertions without the facts, but I am going to leave most of this up here.

However, this is fair warning to everyone.  This is not the direction I want things heading.  Let’s keep posts on topic, as we are trying to democratize some data here and not get into philosphical nyah nyah about something that no one else here cares much about. 

There is a lot of work to do on this Scruggs stuff, the SF v. Hood case and we have two congressional elections, a presidential primary and a senate election coming up (later rather than sooner, I believe).  That is what we will be focusing on.  Get with that program or be gone.  I am not inclined at all to keep cleaning up after the same few folks.

In Mississippi it seems the trial lawyers have worked hard to gain a foot hold in the Dem. party.  They are financial supporters of many of the statewide offices, Hood, Musgrove, Anderson (Insurance commissioner) Amy Tuck before she switched to the Republican party.  Also reading on here and other areas the ties they have to the national dem. party is fairly strong with Senitor Biden, Senitor Clinton (the party Dickie had to cancel) ..... and I wonder how many more. 

With the next president probably appointing 2 or 3 supreme court justices are we setting ourselves up nationally for the same problems we are facing here in Mississippi?

On that note msbroker, I went to the Huffington Post the other day where she has a contribution look-up feature.  For instance, if you look up Scruggs, you see the names of allll of the family members who donate… Dickie of course, Diane, Zach, the daughter whose name I can’t recall, Zach’s wife Amy… and along with the obvious D donations were some to McCain as well.

I remember reading somewhere, but can’t recall where, the reasons behind that whole posse of folks, including Patterson and Balducci, to have made many donations to the Biden campaign… but haven’t heard anything on the McCain reasonings.

Two cents:  Not sure why the McCain donation… maybe they might think he will be easier to defeat?  Living in Mississippi I think the appointing of judges is a very important role for the President and one we don’t need to put into the hands of the trial lawyers association.

In light of current circumstances, I would say that’s any understatement, although they’ve found a way around that here in Mississippi, haven’t they?

By the way, Claire Scruggs is the daughter’s name… which I indicate only because when you’re looking for where Dickie’s money goes, you have to look under a lot of names.  There are old donations of large sums (campaign caps) under her name from back when she was a college student.  I seem to recall where most of my money went during my college days and not one cent went to a candidate.  Neither did the $$$ my parents sent me.

Is their a complete list of judicial appointments by Musgrove available somewhere?

You can probably get them from the SCOM

msbroker:  the McCain donations are sourced through two means.  a) a past relationship with Scruggs.  remember McCain years ago was pushing (with a Democrat, can’t remember which one) some healthcare legislation that was beneficial to the trial lawyers. and b) trent lott is big behind McCain, and helped host the fundraiser in Mississippi for him.

I’ve used this before to look up judicial appointments…

http://www.ajs.org/js/MS_methods.htm

I didn’t see the Court of Appeals on the link that you provided MTC.  I know that he appointed Myers, and I’m pretty sure he appointed the guy that Court of Appeals Judge Kenny Griffis beat. 

There were a number of chancellors and circuit judges appointed by him as well.  Winston Kidd in Hinds.  The guy in the Delta (I think it’s Solomon, though I may be wrong) who has been in front of the Judicial Performance Commission.  He did move DeLaughter from the County Court bench to the Circuit Court Bench.  Also, I’m pretty sure there are several on the coast.

Solomon C. Osborne (Greenwood) has been appointed by Governor Musgrove to serve as Leflore County Judge.
<a href="http://www.magnoliareport.com/report6.html">

From the Hinds Co. website

“Judge Bobby B. DeLaughter graduated from Jackson Wingfield High School......... First appointed to the county court bench in 1999 by former Governor Kirk Fordice, Judge DeLaughter was subsequently elected to retain that post with almost eighty percent (80 %) of the vote. He was appointed to the circuit court by Governor Ronnie Musgrove, effective June 1, 2002, to fill the unexpired term of retiring Judge L. Breland Hilburn. Judge DeLaughter is unopposed in seeking election for a full term to that position.”

Woops, here is the link

http://www.co.hinds.ms.us/pgs/circuit/delaughterbio.html

Alan, you need admins.

"Alan, you need admins. ..............Donn in trouble again?

Not that I’m aware of. I think he was applying for the admin opening. I think he’s still stingin’.