U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Allan Alexander has clipped Dickie Scruggs' wings again --  Scruggs' private plane has been denied permission to take to the air for the purpose of hauling Scruggs' lawyers to and from San Francisco to defend him against criminal charges in Mississippi and Alabama.  This despite the fact the government did not oppose Scruggs' motion of Friday for an exception to the current limitations on flights for emergency and charitable purposes only.

Click here to read Judge Alexander's order.

Judge Alexander said as follows:

"Commercial air travel to and from Mississippi, California, and Alabama is readily available.  For example, Northwest Airlines has over twenty flights from San Francisco to Memphis, Tennessee.  Most of these flights average less than $300.00 round-trip.  From Memphis to Birmingham, Alabama, an equal number of Northwest Airlines flights (most, if not all, direct) abound, averaging $184,00 round-trip.  Travel to Oxford, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama is reasonably accessible by commercial air travel, and the defendant has not presented sufficient cause for amendment of the court's previous order."

If I might offer a solution -- John Keker can simply increase his fee by the price of a private jet.