Federal judge seeks criminal contempt charges against Katrina plaintiff lawyer News
Federal judge seeks criminal contempt charges against Katrina plaintiff lawyer

[JURIST] US District Judge William M. Acker Jr. of the Northern District of Alabama Friday asked federal prosecutors to charge prominent Mississippi plaintiff's attorney Richard Scruggs with criminal contempt, saying that Scruggs "willfully violated" a preliminary injunction ordering Scruggs to turn over all documents secretly copied by two whistleblowers who allege that State Farm Insurance Co. and claims adjusting firm E.A. Renfroe and Co. Inc. [corporate websites] intentionally committed fraud to deny claims following the Hurricane Katrina disaster [JURIST news archive].

Instead of handing the documents to Renfroe, Scruggs sent the documents to Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood [official website]. Hood subsequently sent the documents to Renfroe and Co. On Tuesday, Hood filed a lawsuit against State Farm Insurance Co. [JURIST report], alleging that the insurance company committed bad faith breach of contract related to a settlement reached on January 23. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

US Supreme Court ruled Indians not US citizens

On November 3, 1884, the US Supreme Court ruled in Elk v. Wilkins that John Elk, an American Indian who had tried to vote in a federal election in Omaha, Nebraska, was not a US citizen entitled to the protection of the 14th and 15th Amendments of the US Constitution. Native Americans became eligible for citizenship in 1887 under the Dawes Act, but only in 1924, under the Indian Citizenship Act, were all Native Americans born in the US made citizens.

Last public execution at Tyburn Gallows in London

On November 3, 1783, the last public execution took place at Tyburn Gallows in London, when John Austin was hanged for highway robbery. From the hanging of William Fitz Osburn in 1196 until Austin's execution, Tyburn served as London's primary location for public executions.

Learn more about the trial of John Austin.