The Fall of the House of Zeus

Well-known journalist Wilkie (Kelly G. Cook Chair in Journalism, Univ. of Mississippi) chronicles the rise and fall of Dickie Scruggs, a prominent Mississippi plaintiffs' attorney who was convicted of judicial bribery and sentenced to jail. As he followed Scruggs's career and downfall closely for local news outlets, Wilkie is able to trace and describe all details related to Scruggs's litigation, interactions with other legal professionals, successes, and failures. The book shows how easily a lawyer working within a close-knit circle of colleagues, prosecutors, judges, and politicians can easily slip into judicial misconduct while simply trying to represent the best interests of a client. The author is quick to point out how money, even when used in an indirect manner, can induce favoritism or influence a legal outcome, thus resulting in professional misconduct.