Insurance Law

Scruggs Nation, Day 47: story says Joey Langston pleads guilty

By David Rossmiller

A story by Jerry Mitchell in this morning's Clarion Ledger says Joey Langston entered a guilty plea in federal court.  Here's a link.  As of the time I'm posting this it's early on the West Coast, I may have more to say about this later.   

UPDATE: Walter Olson has written a long, excellent post at Overlawyered on the significance of the Langston plea on the national scene.  Walter also likens Mississippi AG Jim Hood's current status to a "potted plant."  Incidentally, on Friday, Hood's office sent an e-mail to AG employees barring any contact with the media AND bloggers without authorization.  Apparently the media restriction was in place before, but now bloggers are expressly included in the ban.  I guess Hood figures if he's not going to talk, no one else should either.   

SECOND UPDATE: At times like this, it is easy to fall into a feeding frenzy and speculate unfairly. Remember we are working with a limited universe of known facts, and that interpretation of documents, public records and statements on the record by those who know first-hand is different than assuming the worst about someone or speculation based on oral or informal rumors, or what we wish to be true. Readers are free to contact me with information about what is going on, but I humbly ask that commenters please refrain from statements on this blog about the guilt or criminal involvement of those who have neither admitted any culpability nor been charged with a crime.  A label of criminal carries a serious stigma.  Let's be fair even to those we may not like.  If anyone deserves to be brought to justice, well, let it come, but let's try to put ourselves in the shoes of those we discuss, and their families.  Let's remember that compassion, even for an enemy, is mankind's noblest trait. Let's only say those things that we would stand up in public, attach our name to and answer for.

Full post as published by Insurance Coverage Law Blog on January 13, 2008 (boomark / email).