The prominent class-action Mississippi lawyer, Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday for conspiring to bribe a judge. Scruggs became one of the richest men in Mississippi after a string of successful class action lawsuits against several industries, such as the asbestos industry and, later, the tobacco one in the 1990s.

His tobacco case was also depicted in the movie The Insider, and resulted in a staggering settlement of $206 billion in 1998.

Scruggs, 62, was indicted in November for conspiring to make a $50,000 bribe of a state judge. The lawyer wanted Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Henry Lackey to rule favorably in a dispute over $26.5 million in legal fees from a mass settlement of Hurricane Katrina insurance cases. However, Lackey reported the bribery attempt and Scruggs and his associates were taped by the FBI discussing the attempted bribe.

There are concerns, also voiced by the presiding judge, that Scruggs has done this in the past. U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers Jr. handed down the full sentence requested by prosecutors and expressed his opinion that perhaps this was not the first time when Scruggs corrupted the justice system.

When he heard the sentence, Scruggs nearly fainted and needed support from his lawyer to steady him.

In fact, Scruggs' former defense attorney, Joey Langston of Booneville, already acknowledged he tried to influence Hinds County Judge Bobby DeLaughter in the asbestos fee case. The promised reward was allegedly help from Scruggs' brother-in-law, Sen. Trent Lott, with an appointment to the federal bench.

Scruggs was a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and was expected to host a fundraiser, but the event was canceled after the bribe allegations surfaced.