OXFORD – Last week, embattled former Hinds D.A. Ed Peters permanently lost his Mississippi law license.

No surprise there. Months ago, he'd turned in his bar resignation as part of a deal to avoid federal prosecution.

Wednesday, the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi gave him 30 days to explain why it shouldn't do the same.

Then, the professional unraveling heads up the courts food chain to the 5th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

End of gig.

Peters is under a legal cloud in the federal investigations of former mega-lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs of Oxford, now an inmate in a federal prison in Kentucky for guilty pleas in two judicial bribery schemes.

Some say Peters will be a government witness against suspended Hinds Circuit Clerk Bobby DeLaughter, who once worked for Peters.

DeLaughter says he's not guilty of anything, especially allegations Scruggs and others, with Peters' help, bribed him in a legal fees case.

DeLaughter has an Aug. 17 trial date in Oxford.

As for practicing in federal court, Chief Judge Michael Mills says if the court doesn't hear from Peters about his state disbarment, the federal court is likely to take the same action.

•• Contact Patsy R. Brumfield at (662) 678-1596 or patsy.brumfield@djournal.com. Also read Patsy's reports on Twitter/RealNewsQueen or Facebook.