Alabama Judge Paddled and Sodomized Male Inmates for Leniency, Trial Begins

(Oct. 6) Jury selection for the trial of former Mobile County circuit judge Herman Thomas began Monday.  Thomas faces 83 charges including assault, extortion, kidnapping, sex abuse and sodomy.

The 15 alleged victims are current and former inmates who accuse Thomas of exchanging leniency in the courtroom for sexual favors.  If convicted, Thomas could face 20 years to life in prison.

Thomas’ jury will be selected from a pool of 300 potential jurors.  The potential jurors were to complete a questionnaire that the defense and prosecution will use to select 12 jurors and 4 alternates.

Allegations against Thomas began to surface when authorities looked into Thomas’ records after he changed a jail sentence in 2006 for his cousin, David Thomas, former Mobile County school commissioner, even though he was not handling the case, according to Nicki Patterson, Chief Assistant District Attorney.  Other cases where Thomas had taken over the cases of other judges without their approval surfaced.

Some of the inmates whose cases had been taken by Thomas reported being checked out of jail for meetings with Thomas in his office at the county courthouse.  First, there were reports of paddling and then allegations of oral and anal sex arose, according to court records.

Thomas’ lawyer Robert Clark asserted that the 15 convicted felons were neither trustworthy nor believable.  Clark will likely question their credibility during the trial.

"We're talking about murderers, burglars, drug dealers," Clark said.

The prosecution was not concerned about Clarks assertions or allegation of racism. Patterson said that the prosecution had 15 victims and substantial evidence against Thomas, including one inmates seminal fluid in his office.

"I'm sure that Mr. Clark is going to say lots of things between now and when this case goes to jury," Patterson said. "The facts are what is presented from the witness stand, not what Mr. Clark claims might happen."

Former colleagues were shocked by the allegations levied against Thomas.

"I've always had the highest regard for him. The allegations were a complete surprise to me and everyone else who knew him," said Bob Edington, former Democratic state senator and attorney.

“Everyone thought he had a lot of concern for people who got into criminal difficulty. All of this was a surprise to everyone," said Braxton Kittrell, retired Mobile County Circuit Judge.

Thomas resigned from his circuit judgeship in 2008 and was indicted by a grand jury in the spring.  He maintains his innocence and says he was only trying to mentor the inmates.