InfoAnda - Ex-Ala. judge accused of trading sex for leniency

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Warner, YouTube near deal for music videos: sources | Technology | | 29 September 2009
Irate Customer Destroys $1,000 In Perfume | 24 December 2009
KRouge survivor confronts jail boss on wife's fate | 1 July 2009

China urges Washington to protect its investments | 4 December 2008

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Ex-Ala. judge accused of trading sex for leniency

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Ex-Ala. judge accused of trading sex for leniency By PHILLIP RAWLS,Associated Press Writer - Monday, October 5 Send IM Story Print MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Herman Thomas had an enviable political record as a black Democrat elected and re-elected in a county overwhelmingly white and increasingly Republican. The respected circuit judge once was the Democratic Party's choice to be the first black federal judge in south Alabama. Then his career collapsed under allegations that he brought inmates to his office and spanked them with a paddle. Later, an indictment accused him of sexually abusing male inmates in exchange for leniency. The trial on charges of sodomy, kidnapping, sex abuse, extortion, assault and ethics violations is set to start Monday. The case has shocked his friends and former colleagues. "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, a prominent Mobile attorney and former Democratic state senator. Thomas, who was known for wearing distinctive bow ties, stepped down from the bench in 2007 after the allegations of paddling surfaced and just ahead of a judicial ethics trial that could have forced him out of office. He was indicted on the more-serious charges this past spring by a Mobile County grand jury. If convicted of the most serious charges _ sodomy and kidnapping _ he faces from 20 years to life in prison. The oldest incident in the charges dates to 1999, his first year as a circuit judge. The first public claim against Thomas surfaced in lawsuits filed by an inmate in 2001 in Mobile circuit court and in federal court that claimed the judge offered to help him with his case in return for sex. Both lawsuits were dismissed, and Thomas' reputation remained unblemished. Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicki Patterson said authorities began looking at Thomas after he changed a jail sentence in 2006 for his cousin, former Mobile County school commissioner David Thomas, even though the case was being handled by another judge. Other cases that Thomas had taken over from other judges without their approval soon surfaced, she said. Some inmates in those cases described being checked out of the jail for meetings with Thomas in his car or in his private office in the county courthouse. First, there were reports of inmates having to pull down their underwear for spankings with a wooden paddle. Then came allegations of oral and anal sex, according to court records. Retired Mobile County Circuit Judge Braxton Kittrell said people thought Thomas' personal interest in the defendants was a positive. "Everyone thought he had a lot of concern for people who got into criminal difficulty. All of this was a surprise to everyone," he said. Defense attorney Robert "Cowboy Bob" Clark calls the accusers "lying felons" who are trying to wreck the career of "a prestigious member of the Bar for over 20 years." The NAACP has defended Thomas and claims race is behind his prosecution. But Patterson disputes that, noting that each of the victims is black, and says that jail checkout records back up inmates' claims about trips to Thomas' private office, and other inmates spotted marks after paddlings. There also is other evidence, according to court records, including one inmate's seminal fluid on the office carpet. The inmates also were able to describe in detail Thomas' unmarked windowless office. Prosecutors say they have 15 current and former male inmates lined up to testify in a trial that could take several weeks. The 48-year-old attorney, whose license to practice has been suspended, maintains his innocence. He has said he was trying to mentor the inmates. He and his attorney blame the charges on politicians who don't like him. "There is no doubt that people assisted these inmates in telling these lies on me," Thomas said in April. His attorney called the indictment "a high-tech lynching" by some in power in Mobile. "They don't like uppity black folks, and that's what they consider Herman," Clark said. Thomas grew up in Mobile and returned home after law school at Florida State University to become an assistant district attorney. At the time, the majority white county had no black judges, and local officials were concerned that a federal judge might end countywide elections for judges. Local Democrats and lawyers recruited Thomas because he had a reputation as a young, bright lawyer and was widely respected for his civic activities, Mobile attorney Cecil Gardner recalled. They got a Republican governor to appoint him to a vacancy in 1990 and he later won election to a full term. He handled lower level cases as a district judge, but he moved up to a county circuit judgeship in 1999 and started handling the most serious crimes, including murder. In 1997, Alabama's presidential advisory committee recommended President Bill Clinton appoint Thomas as the first black federal judge in the southern district of Alabama. The nomination was never acted on after Thomas failed to get the American Bar Association's top rating and amid some squabbling within the party. Thomas still enjoys support in Mobile. He and his wife Linda are frequently seen in public, and he continues to keep a high profile, including maintaining leadership roles in several civic organizations. Edington said Thomas was particularly proud when he got to see his teenage twin daughters march in President Barack Obama's inaugural parade as members of Mobile's Azalea Trail Maids. "If all these things are proven, then I along with everyone I know will be dumbfounded," Edington said. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Restaurant worker: I was fired over Big Ben's beef AP - Monday, October 5 Suspects in Mass. church fire face new charges AP - Monday, October 5 Obama adviser: Afghanistan gov't must do better AP - Monday, October 5 Pope: materialism, extremism harm Africa's future AP - Monday, October 5 No. 2 Republican keeps mum about Ensign probe AP - Monday, October 5 News Search Top Stories IMF takes on bigger role, seeks more funds BAE Systems could still reach deal on corruption case Argentine folk legend Mercedes Sosa dead at 74 T-Rex fails to impress Las Vegas bidders Berlusconi's Fininvest hit with 750 mln euro payment More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Oldest hominid skeleton sheds light on human origins T-Rex fails to impress Las Vegas bidders Polanski agreed to pay victim 500,000 dlrs to end suit: report Four-winged dino may be missing link in bird debate Mechanical giants cheered at celebration of German unity More Most Viewed » Ozone hole smaller in 2009 than 2008: WMO Nanoparticles could pose threat to humans: scientists Oldest hominid skeleton sheds light on human origins Implanted tooth helps blind US woman recover sight More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Monday, 5 October 2009
Palestinians slam Abbas over UN Gaza report delay
BAE Systems could still reach deal on corruption case
Berlusconi visits Sicily after landslide kills 23
Welcome to Hawaii Pacific Teleport
Top US adviser doesn't see Taliban returning to power
Pakistan has forces, equipment for Taliban assault: U.S. | International |
Head of UN nuclear watchdog sees Iran cooperation
Argentine folk legend Mercedes Sosa dead at 74
Gaza woman freed in last step of soldier-video swap
Fatah and Hamas eye truce deal, but hurdles remain | International |
IAEA to inspect Iran's Qom site October 25
Last known rebel leader disarms in Nigeria's delta | International |
Five hurt in south Yemen protests: reports | International |
Adviser downplays threat of renewed al-Qaida haven
Devices locate kids, parents find peace of mind
Yale lab tech due in court to face murder charge
White House sees progress from talks with Iran
Fires char wildland in Calif., Ariz.
Greenspan says unemployment will top 10 percent
Ex-Ala. judge accused of trading sex for leniency
6 members of Supreme Court attend Catholic Mass
Report: 13 million babies worldwide born premature
Aid push to villages wiped out by Indonesia quake
GOP senator silent on whether Ensign should stay
Latest typhoon kills 16 in northern Philippines
Lavish welcome for Chinese premier in Pyongyang
Traditions fade as China settles nomads in towns
Billions in US aid never reached Pakistan army
NKorea open to nuclear talks: state media
North Korea's Kim woos visiting China Premier
Chinese premier meets Kim Jong Il on NKorea visit
Report: Seized NKorean ship allowed to leave India
Quake jolts south Philippines; no injury reports
Fans feast on undead as `Zombieland' opens to $25M
'Zombieland' top destination at box office | Entertainment |
Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa dies aged 74
Nick Hornby brings middle-age mindset to new works
Mannequins hit by discrimination -- and loss of face
Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa dies at 74 | Entertainment |
Author Coetzee eyes Booker triple, Mantel favorite
Nick Hornby brings middle-age mindset to new works | Entertainment |
Saudi fires cleric who criticised mixed university
Mother in plea to Elton John over adoption plan
China vows to stand by isolated North Korea | International |
Major report details India's infant mortality crisis
Eight US troops die in one of worst Afghan battles
Tensions in Jerusalem after new Al-Aqsa clashes
Some schools reopen in quake-hit Indonesia city | International |
Bomb at Pakistani U.N. office, 2 dead: police | International |
Abbas faces uproar over deferred war crimes vote
Berlusconi visits Sicily after landslide kills 23
13 million premature births worldwide: US charity
Nobel guessing game at fever pitch
Passenger train derails in Thailand, 5 dead: report | International |
Fuel truck explodes near Baghdad airport
Typhoon turns back, dumps rain on northern Philippines | International |
IMF takes on bigger role, seeks more funds
Support for Japan's PM above 70 percent: media | International |
Support for Japan's PM above 70 percent
Tiger rescued from poacher's trap in Malaysia
3 dead, 4 seriously injured in NY speedboat crash
SKorea seized suspected NKorean cargo containers
T-Mobile USA kicks off corporate Wi-Fi push | Technology |
Landslides in Myanmar kill 3
Government finds higher autism figure: 1 in 100
China, NKorea reaffirm relations
China vows to stand by North Korea
Government report questions rescue claims
Samoans join in prayer after tsunami
Schools hold class in tents after Indonesia quake
Hatoyama support at more than 70 percent: poll
Britain offered Libya funds to end IRA support: report
California fires force thousands to evacuate
At least seven dead as Thai train derails: police
Peg Mullen, author of "Unfriendly Fire," dies
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 774
Reggae artist says NYC man slashed him with sword
Neighbors: Accused Andrews stalker kept to himself
S.Korea c.bank ready to act to check won's rise
Banks, tech plays send Seoul shares down 2.3 pct
Heavy rains hold up search for bodies in Indonesia
Multitasker Beyonce thrives on hectic pace
IMF takes on enhanced global role
Neighbors: Accused Andrews stalker kept to himself
British supermarket chain shelves Fox News: report
Country's Luke Bryan doing his thing with new album
U.S. Prudential mulls sale of South Korean units
CORRECTED: U.S. Prudential mulls sale of South Korean units
Broadway performance canceled when actor falls ill
Korea Hot Stocks
Kiwi dollar higher than govt expected
Tight security, recession dampen Munich beer fest: city
Seoul shares fall after U.S. data;Hana Fin tumbles
Linkin Park frontman resurfaces with side project
Taiwan LCD makers eye China as leverage against rivals
Rock band Cartel mounts comeback after MTV failure
Carrie Fisher journeys through showbiz celebrity
Canada music labels combine to take on U.S. market
Lady Gaga to tour without Kanye West | Entertainment |
Multitasker Beyonce thrives on hectic pace | Entertainment |
Arrested Development movie script in works | Entertainment |
Still a long way to the top for rapper MC Wale | Entertainment |
Social Distortion road-testing new songs on tour | Entertainment |
Linkin Park frontman resurfaces with side project | Entertainment |
Rock band Cartel mounts comeback after MTV failure | Entertainment |
Iraq's joint Kurd, Arab, US patrols face big hurdles
Dairy farmers bring Brussels to a standstill
New Afghan vote rules may ensure Karzai victory | International |
US-TECH Summary
US trio win Nobel Medicine Prize for research on ageing
Brazil switches roles with helping hand for IMF
Sample audit in Afghan vote gets under way
Vonage unveils mobile app for iPhone, BlackBerry
IT to generate 5.8 million new jobs by 2013: IDC
Suicide bomber kills at least 6 at Iraqi funeral | International |
Cutting child mortality 'cheap and achievable'
T-Mobile USA kicks off corporate Wi-Fi push
India floods leave 2.5 million homeless, 250 dead | International |
Victorious F1 driver Vettel now looks to Brazil
Kenya leaders deny delay on post-election reform | International |
Training, drug use major issues for Afghan police
UK ministers' Pakistan terrorism talks: officials
Greek Socialists work on cabinet with big majority | International |
Taliban under attack in area where U.S. soldiers killed | International |
Suicide bomber kills 5 at UN office in Pakistan
Microsoft's Ballmer says Web search buys unlikely | Technology |
The nation's weather
Five dead as suicide blast hits UN Islamabad office
Vonage unveils mobile app for iPhone, BlackBerry | Technology |
President Obama continues health care push Monday
Al-Qaeda number two 'vows to kill Westerners'
China, North Korea laud ties on scrutinized visit
Swine flu vaccine arriving, but don't line up yet
Bomber kills 5 at Pakistani U.N. food office
Analysis: Campaign vow meets harsh Afghan reality
Sarkozy urged to tell Kazakhstan to improve rights
India floods leave 1.5 million homeless: officials
UN closes offices in Pakistan after attack
Exiled Uighur leader Kadeer invited to New Zealand
Japan Post bosses 'must resign by end-October'
Indonesia calls off rescue efforts in quake-hit city
Peace eludes victims of East German secret police
Mazda to raise $1.1 bln, forecasts smaller loss
Japan's Mazda cuts loss forecast
Rain, landslides threaten Indonesian quake victims
Mittal 'may pull $20 bln India steel plant plan'
Edison Chen in 1st movie since sex photo scandal
Japan's Mazda forecasts smaller loss
Filipinos cling to their Christian faith during crisis
"Arrested Development" movie script in works
FACTBOX-S.Korean officials' comments on property boom
GRAPHICS-S.Korea c.bank getting tough on property boom
Author Coetzee eyes Booker triple, Mantel favorite | Entertainment |
South Korea's c.bank ready to clamp down on housing boom
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01