DeLaughter to Get 18 Months for Lying to FBI

Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter resigned his seat Thursday morning. He pled guilty to charges of obstruction of justice Thursday afternoon. Now he’s likely to spend 18 months in jail. MPB’s Cari Gervin has the rest of the story.

Clad in a dark charcoal suit, a crisp white shirt and a plaid magenta tie that seemed a bit out of place, Bobby DeLaughter stood quietly at the front of Courtroom Two in the federal building in Aberdeen.

When Judge Glen Davidson asked if he admitted the substance of the factual basis against him, DeLaughter answered, “I do, your honor.”

And with that, the court accepted the guilty plea of the man who, as an assistant district attorney in 1994, successfully prosecuted white supremacist Byron de la Beckwith for the 1963 murder of NAACP leader Medgar Evers.

The man who, according to his own plea agreement, lied to the FBI .

U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee:

“What has happened here is really something we can’t really all be too happy about. When something like this happens, there’s no great joy.”

The factual basis for DeLaughter’s plea states that he had dozens of conversations – not two, as he had told the FBI – with his former boss Ed Peters about a lawsuit then before DeLaughter. Peters has admitted that he took a million-dollar bribe from Richard Scruggs to attempt to influence DeLaughter to rule in Scruggs’ favor in the lawsuit. Which DeLaughter did.

But attorney Tom Durkin said DeLaughter was guilty only of discussing the case and then lying about doing so.

“He will never admit that he ruled corruptly or contrary to the way he saw it. He ruled fairly, he insists on that. He’ll go to his grave doing that, and I’ll go to my grave saying that’s what would have happened in trial.”

The plea does not prevent further judicial action from the Southern District. But both Durkin and federal prosecutors said more charges against DeLaughter were unlikely, as were any other charges specifically relating to this case.

Again, US Attorney Jim Greenlee:

“This, this is over with. Whether or not anything follows, I could never comment.”

And then Greenlee did comment.

“There are parts of investigations that do continue, yes.”

DeLaughter will be sentenced sometime this fall. Until then, he remains free on bond.

The judge can choose a harsher sentence than the 18 months suggested in the plea agreement. But if that happens, DeLaughter will have the option to withdraw his guilty plea and take his case to court.

For MPB News, I’m Cari Gervin.