USA v. Scruggs: entire Northern District of Alabama recuses itself from case

In yet another of the increasingly bizarre twists and turns in Katrina-spawned litigation, in USA v. Scruggs, the prosecution of Dickie Scruggs for criminal contempt of court, Scruggs filed a motion asking all federal judges in the Northern District of Alabama to recuse themselves, and they did. Click here to read the motion, which is short. Click here to read the order of recusal, which is shorter.Scruggs, in an extraordinarly deferential and respectful pleading, argued that the impartiality of the judge -- Judge L. Scott Coogler presided over the case -- or any judge in the Northern District was subject to question by an objective observer because a colleague, Judge William Acker, is the one who began the criminal case against Scruggs. Here's an excerpt:The extent of intimacy at issue