Bobby DeLaughter, a well-known former prosecutor and judge in Mississippi, is set to report to federal prison after lying to the FBI in a judicial bribery case. This is a long fall from grace for DeLaughter, who was known for convicting the man who killed Medgar Evers (pictured below). DeLaughter is now 55 years old, and he is to report to prison in McCreary, Ky., by 2 p.m. on Monday.
DeLaughter is set to serve 18 months after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about secret conversations he had with a lawyer about a case over which he was presiding. The prosecutors agreed to drop the conspiracy and mail fraud charges as part of the plea deal.
DeLaughter built his name by convicting Byron de la Beckwith for the murder of Medgar Evers in 1963. Since that time, he has been appointed as a judge and then later elected. The conviction of DeLaughter occurred during a lawsuit involving Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, an attorney known for his participation in major litigation against the tobacco industry. Prosecutors are saying that DeLaughter ruled in favor of Scruggs in exchange for a promise that he'd be considered for a federal judgeship.We all know that this case was probably not an isolated one. One of the scary things about fame, power and politics is that you are always one bad step away from being indicted for something. Many of the politicians who've gone to prison for alleged corruption are simply individuals who were caught on the wrong side of a political battle. Even the place where President Barack Obama got his start, Chicago, is known for political corruption, so the truth is that these problems are likely more pervasive than we could ever imagine.
That is why I don't ever plan to go in to politics.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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By: Glenn on 1/04/2010 5:12PM
I hope he enjoys the accomodations the federal gotvernment has for him. A complete disgrace but then again - he is a lawyer and once they pass the bar exam its all about (them=me) Greedy, arrogant and now a federal convict, he sets a shining example for future, attorneys who believe that they are all above the law.
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