Ala. Judge Accused of Sex Abuse, Sodomy and Assault on Inmates Found Not Guilty

A jury found former Mobile County Circuit Court judge Herman Thomas not guilty Monday afternoon on seven of the 21 charges against him.  The remaining 14 charges were thrown out by special Judge Claud Neilson citing a lack of evidence.

The jury had been deliberating since 9 AM after a weekend break.  They found Thomas not guilty on five sex abuse charges, one sodomy charge and one assault charge yet had not reached a consensus on the remaining assault charges.

After the jury was dismissed, Judge Neilson ruled that Thomas was not guilty of assault saying that the prosecution had failed to show that the alleged paddle was a dangerous weapon or instrument.

“The use of a paddle or belt in this case is not a dangerous weapon,” he said.

Thomas had been accused of checking inmates out of prison and taking them to his office where he allegedly spanked and sexually assaulted them in exchange for favorable rulings and lenient sentencing in the courtroom. 

Before beginning deliberations last Thursday, the jury heard a week of testimony from inmates who said Thomas picked them up at jail, took them to a private office in the courthouse and gave them the choice between going back to jail or going free by taking a paddling with their pants and underwear down. 

During the testimonies some of the men said they turned around during the paddling and saw the judge sexually aroused or exposed.  One man claimed that the judge made him masturbate and a forensic scientist reported finding the man’s semen on the judge’s carpet.  Another inmate said the judged tried to force to have oral sex.

Thomas had been indicted in March on charges of assault, ethics violations, kidnapping and sodomy.

Later charges were brought in August, bringing the total number of counts against Thomas to 103.  The charges against him dwindled down to 21 counts after prosecution dropped charges involving four of the 15 inmates and the judge threw out all extortion, kidnapping and ethics charges.

Thomas denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial.