Thomas Trial: Inmates Testify Ex-Judge Spanked, Abused Them

The prosecution rests in the trial of former Alabama Circuit Court Judge Herman Thomas, who is accused of exchanging leniency for sexual acts such as paddling, masturbation and oral sex. The former Mobile County judge at one point faced more than 100 criminal counts, including kidnapping, sexual abuse, extortion and sodomy. Prosecutors dismissed some cases and others were thrown out by a judge because the statute of limitations expired.

There are now 11 alleged victims and 52 counts, WKRG-TV reports. In the past week, eight victims told of being spanked with belts, a Kappa Alpha Psi paddle, and of being spanked by Thomas at a fraternity house. One victim previously told Mobile police that Thomas forced him to masturbate but refused to say this on the witness stand, reports the Mobile Press-Register.

The man is one of two alleged victims whose semen was found by investigators in that office on the eighth floor, according to earlier testimony. Last week, the other alleged victim testified that Thomas asked him to masturbate inside the office. On Monday, Special Judge Claud Neilson sent the jury out of the courtroom after prosecutors tried to introduce into evidence a transcript of an FBI interview with the 26-year-old man earlier this year. The transcript stated that the man had previously told Mobile police that Thomas forced him to masturbate, prosecutors said. Neilson ruled that the transcript could not be heard or seen by the jury.

The man testified Monday that Thomas beat him on his bare buttocks inside a jury room, in the small office and at a fraternity house in Mobile after meeting the judge in 2000. During one of the beatings, the man said, he turned around and saw Thomas with an erection in his pants. "I don't like being here," the man said from the witness stand. "I'm just here to testify the truth."

The trial also revealed one of the alleged victims was the son of an influential black state senator, Vivian Davis Figures, who allegedly asked the judge to intervene in her son's drug case.

The defense began its case yesterday. One of the character witnesses admits she gave Thomas permission to paddle her nephew, who was in and out of jail on drug charges, WKRG reports. The mother of another witness says she gave Thomas permission to paddle her grown son, adds Black Independent, an Alabama-based blog following the case. Defense attorney Bob Clark said Wednesday morning he planned to rest their case this afternoon.

Herman Thomas was once the Democratic Party's choice to be the first black federal judge in south Alabama. The now-disgraced judge was considered "tough" on crime and is married with two teen-aged daughters. He denies being gay or bisexual.

Thanks LANCE and KAYMAN!

The Background:
Prosecutors Describe Former Judge as Sex Predator
Prosecutors Want Sexual Fetish Testimony in Trial 
Ex-Judge Accused of Trading Sex for Leniency

Comments

[Aaron]

Typical Kappa.

Light skinned. Freaky and DL. Claims they're not gay. Oh and married too. smh

Wasn't that DL pastor an alpha too? smh

[Dallas Cowboy]

a two day defense and already two witnesses concede the paddling happened. we shall see what happens. doesnt look good for the judge tho.

[Byron]

What is anyone doing giving someone "permission" to paddle another adult; son, nephew or not? And these are people he calls as character witnesses!?

I'm not a Greek, but I think it's disgraceful that he'd disrespect his frat in that way. Those paddles are for spanking bare-bottomed pledges only!
[/irony mode off]

I'm glad he's denying that he's gay. If any of this is true, then he's an uncontrollable sexual predator who let his perceived power go to his head.

[CC]

WOW!!

[Chris Cruz]

The Kappas really are not looking so good right. I wonder what did the judge do with those silly candy canes? Where did he stick those?

look, all jokes aside thank gawd he doesnt say he is gay or bi because he is a MESS! A MESS!

telling defendants an attorney would do them no good? too bad a judge couldnt tell him that

[Chris Cruz]

Yeah and hardcore criminals are embarrassed to admit they were paddled and one refuses to tell the jury he j/o for Thomas. Can't explain how his semen was found in the judges' office. Seems a few of us said the other week the prisoners wouldn't be overjoyed or anxious to testify here.

But how do you give a judge PERMISSION to spank your grown son or nephew? Some of these black church women knew what was going on. The state senator sure did and she wanted Pee Wee Herman to save her son so that wouldnt make her look bad.

smh @ "Respectable" church folk

[Baby Phat]

KAPPAS PADDLE PLEDGES???

[nathans]

Chris Cruz you are so wrong for that " those silly cany canes"..

But honestly this all sounds like black gay daddy-chicken bear-cub fantasy gone all wrong. And that kinda fantasy has its plcae just not in the judges quarters...

* on that note let me go find my paddle and candy cane.. poosie should be home by 8 o'clock* ...latas

[Whatuthink]

Wooo he spanked them??? He is kinky! He really takes use of his power!

[Kappa 1911]

This is NOT about Kappa Alpha Psi!

This is one bad judge who happened to be a Kappa and happened to use Kappa paddle or frat house. Let's not get it twisted people! This was not going on officially and frat knew nothing about this. Rod I would appreciate if you would step in and tell readers not to get caried away with gay frat fantasies! Thanks in advance!
Why don't you tell your frat Judge Thomas not to get "carried away with gay frat fantasies"? Or did you hear the testimony? -RM

[Ravenback]

@ Kappa 1911

I don't in any way pretend to speak for Rod, but this is a gay blog. This is a place where gay men can come and get "carried away" with the news and other issues. We don't care if we offend "straight" people or "straight" sensibilities. The comments made on this blog are tame compared to the anti-gay and homophobic comments made by those who work against our interests. People are constantly calling us perverts, child molesters, sexual deviants, abominations, and sub-human. Many of our LGBT brothers and sisters around the world are subjected to harassment, beatings, prosecution, persecution, and death. So if you can't take some of our comments tongue-in-cheek, then that's your problem. You deal with it. And even you would have to admit that some of these "gay frat fantasies" are much closer to the truth than some people care to admit. But these views are mine and others will have to speak for themselves.

[Talarico]

@ Kappa 1911:

So why do Kappas have a paddle?
Do tell ...

[TB]

the talented tenth paper bag test?

nupes, the good ole boy network, freaky DL paddling, senators and judges trading favors...and all of them are light skinned. even all his victims!

do kappas even let dark skin men in their DL bisexual gay frat?

[Honut SInti]

Preverted Power Play Pappa Purposely Paddling Prisoners Producing Pleasure/Pain/Punishment...

Ah, another day in the neighborhood.

[nahtans]

I prefer Alphas...just saying

[SabeLoTodo]

"Sodomy" is against the law in Alabama still? Or I guess in his case...

[kayman]

Yeah, if "criminal" sodomy is proven to have occurred it is prosecutable in Alabama. The authority can't prosecute you if engage in sexual acts involving sodomy if it is consensual because of the 2003 Supreme Court repeal of state laws involving sodomy.

However, in this case since it's not considered consensual by both parties then it is "criminal" and "prosecutable" by law.

[Jim]

Cute bow tie.