Mr. Scruggs, 62 years old, earned hundreds of millions of dollars and became one of the wealthiest tort attorneys in the country during a legal career that took him to the top of his profession. But in March, Scruggs and former law partner Sidney Backstrom pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a state court judge.
Mr. Scruggs initially denied doing anything wrong, then pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a deal that will likely keep his son from being imprisoned. The deal came with a recommended five-year sentence.
Mr. Scruggs's attorneys submitted a motion Wednesday asking for a sentence of 30 to 37 months, which falls on the low end of federal sentencing guidelines.
"If I had to put money on a number, I would put it on five years," said Matt Steffey, a legal professor at the Mississippi School of Law.