Mississippi: “Civil lawsuits filed in Jefferson County allege that lawyers signed up fake clients for a 1999 lawsuit that resulted in a $150 million jury verdict against the makers of a diet drug.” According to the allegations, lawyers knew that some clients being recruited into the action had never actually taken the diet drug but “looked the other way”. Defendant lawyers called the allegations “ridiculous” and “preposterous”. Federal law enforcers will not disclose details of their investigation of Jefferson County product liability litigation (see Jun. 29, May 7 and links from there), but it is known that the FBI has subpoenaed prescription records from Fayette’s Bankston Drug Store, which is frequently named in suits (see May 4-6, 2001). (Tom Wilemon, Beth Musgrave and Margaret Baker, “Lawyers faked diet-drug case clients, lawsuits claim”, Biloxi Sun-Herald, Jul. 1; “Miss. lawyers accused of wrongdoing in suit”, AP/Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Jul. 2).

Filed under: ethics, Mississippi