After several days of jury selection, the Herman Thomas trial finally got underway Friday in Alabama. The former Mobile County Circuit judge is a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" who had sex with jail inmates in return for leniency while claiming to "straighten" out their lives, said Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicki Patterson in opening arguments, reports the Mobile Press-Register.
"The defendant's perversions led him to abuse those very young men he was so publicly mentoring and helping," Patterson said. Thomas would pick men without fathers in their lives and who were in need of help, Patterson said, sometimes checking them out of jail. Using the judges' secure elevator, he brought the men to an eighth-floor office with a glass panel that had been covered with paper, she said.
Inside, she said, Thomas told the young men to strip down and be paddled, or be sent back to jail. During the spankings, some of the men turned around to see Thomas masturbating or having an "obvious erection in his pants," Patterson said. Patterson said Thomas also ordered men to masturbate or engage in oral sex with him. As Patterson detailed Thomas' alleged indiscretions, Thomas' wife looked on.
Once the Democratic Party's choice to be the first black federal judge in south Alabama, the now-disbarred Thomas is accused of sexually abusing or assaulting at least 14 current or former inmates while serving on the bench from 1999 to 2007. Thomas faces 70 charges of charges of kidnapping, sodomy, extortion and sex abuse. Thomas is also accused of having cases pulled from other judges' dockets and placed on his own.
Thomas had been indicted on 80+ charges in connection with 15 alleged victims. Two days ago, the state asked to dismiss one case. At the same time prosecutors announced they have at least two separate semen samples.
WKRG reports this about the mostly black jury: "The jury is made up of eight men and eight women. It is unusual because the panel includes four alternates. None of the jurors know who is an alternate."
JUMP to watch WKRG's report on the opening arguments.
"Patterson said Thomas also ordered men to masturbate or engage in oral sex with him. As Patterson detailed Thomas' alleged indiscretions, Thomas' wife looked on."
That's a low down dirty shame. But doesnt the good political wife always stand by her man when her husband is accused of doing wrong?
Can we say enable? I'm so sure she knew all about it, just like Suzanne Craig, Dina Matos and Wendy Vitter.
Liars and hypocrites. One and all!
Posted by: Former COGIC | 10 October 2009 at 11:15
cute bow tie!
Posted by: Mr. FAMU | 10 October 2009 at 13:50
COGIC,
That's not fair to implicate this man's wife in any wrong doing he chose to engage in. You don't know that she knew nor has any evidence been put forth to suggest she knew about her husband's illicit activities. This would make her an accomplice and expose her to criminal charges.
Let's assume that she's playing the part of the good wife and is supporting her husband. Odds are if this woman knew about any of this, she would've left him long ago since there would be for her no gratification or benefit to be got from this--only embarrassment. I doubt this woman would knowingly let her husband play and lay down with other (convicted) men only to come home and lay with her. Mind you, this man and his family are pillars of the community, and had a pristine reputation up until his exposure.
Posted by: Rigga | 10 October 2009 at 14:22
@ Rigga
Excuse me? I did not "implicate this man's wife" in the very wrongdoing he obviously was engaged in. I said she was in court standing by her man. As the political wives always do.
You're probably right that the Missus didn't know her man was getting jaulhouse trade on the side. But I have seen toooo many judges, ministers, doctors and bishops wives look the other way. And I feel sorry for her, her husband did this bs and dragged their family into it and now she has to sit in court and listen to the XXX details. Because if she isnt there, that becomes an even bigger story and he looks guiltier than he already is.
"Pillars" of the community" LOLz
Now you're sounding very wannabe black bourgeois. You must be new to the life or this blog. It's ALWAYS the "pillars" of the community who do stuff like this.
Posted by: Former COGIC | 10 October 2009 at 14:38
is naacp still defending "here cums the (disbarred) judge"? instead of fighting real racism and homophobia in our black community, there are back to crying wolf and claiming racist conspiracies. again.
in a few previous posts we saw that even our own black LGBTs feel they need to defend this bs.
if this were a white judge accused of abusing white boys or white women we would not have this convo. he will be found guilty. unless you think a black church going jury will believe the white republicns planted those inmate's sperm in his office? chile....
Posted by: Devin | 10 October 2009 at 14:52
Dang, someone else giving bowties a bad name!
Posted by: Max | 10 October 2009 at 20:21