By Brian Livingston

blivingston@themeridianstar.com



For those who read Alan Lange’s and Tom Dawson’s collaboration chronicling tort magnate Dickie Scruggs’ bribery case, “Kings of Tort,” they may never look at sweet potatoes in the same light again.

The amazing story behind Scruggs’ judicial bribery scandal is the authoritative work on documenting this nationally known story and the relatively unknown 25-year history behind it. The book will be made available in retail outlets throughout the country on Dec. 2.

“This was something I never really envisioned doing,” said Dawson, a Meridian native and the lead federal prosecutor in the case. “But once I got deeper and deeper into it I realized just how good this book could be. Plus, Alan was so excited and committed to this project it just took on a life of its own.”

Kings of Tort chronicles the sordid tale of judicial bribery and political intrigue in Mississippi, birthplace of the tobacco litigation and long known as one of the most tort-friendly jurisdictions in the nation. It features the story of Scruggs, who was largely credited with bringing down Big Tobacco in the early 1990s. From his ascent to a net worth of nearly a billion dollars to his seemingly unfathomable downfall stemming from his role in attempting to corrupt two local judges by improperly influencing the outcome of cases with bribery money, or “sweet potatoes” as was the code name for the cash payments, the book documents how those in Scruggs’ own trusted circle of tort barons turned on him and cooperated with federal authorities. It also shows the political influence he wielded with judges, attorneys general, and even his own brother-in-law, former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott.

Lange and Dawson conducted extensive research with more than 200 external reference citations to more than 100 different sources documenting the story. Lead author Lange stated, “So much of this story has been reported on in bits and pieces in the media. By putting all of the sources in one place for public review along with the narrative, we allow the readers to decide the truth on this complex story for themselves.”

Lange and Dawson’s research and the vast majority of the book itself is gleaned from published media reports, court documents and interviews from many of the key players. Lange is a businessman from Jackson, and runs the widely acclaimed political Web site, www.yallpolitics.com, which focuses on politics and law in Mississippi. Dawson, from Oxford, is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who retired from his position in early January 2009. His highly decorated career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Associate Independent Counsel with the Department of Justice spanned more than three decades and he served under seven presidents. As lead prosecutor on the Scruggs case, Dawson had a bird’s eye view of the largest judicial bribery scandal in Mississippi history.

The book also chronicles the legal bribery story of Scruggs confidante and tobacco lawsuit partner Paul Minor, son of Mississippi political columnist Bill Minor. He was convicted, along with the two judges he improperly influenced, and is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence. Minor is currently fighting his conviction on appeal from prison through his attorney Abbe Lowell, who defended former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial.

If you thought back road deals were a thing of the long ago past then “Kings of Tort” will show you how only recently there was a group of attorneys and judges who were spinning vast webs of under-the-table agreements for their financial gains.