Former Mobile, Alabama judge Herman Thomas has been arrested in a bizarre criminal case alleging that he used the local jail as a type of personal stable of victims for beatings and sexual abuse. His lawyer — who goes by the moniker Robert “Cowboy Bob” Clark — has charged racism targeting the county first black judge.
The 57-count indictment alleges that Thomas committed kidnapping, sodomy, extortion, sex abuse and ethics violations. It lists nine former and current inmates, who Thomas allegedly had pulled from jail to beat them or have sex with them.
Calling this a “high tech lynching” Cowboy Bob insists “This is racism at its very finest. We ought to be proud we elected those bastards.” Cowboy Bob also says that he will challenge the restriction imposed by the court that Thomas say away from young men. The race charge has not played well thus far in Alabama.
The indictment states that Thomas singled out young men for “sexual contact, by forcible compulsion.”
In the meantime, the state bar has suspended Thomas’ license.
For the indictment, click here.
For the full story, click here.
This article was picked up from the ABA Journal.
Regarding the racism claim, all of the victims were also black.
Clicking on all of Professor Turley’s embedded blue links is important to get “the rest of the story” (Especially important for any leading STORY on April 1 of any year from here to eternity…)
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Quotes for the full story link:
“Tyson said Clark’s accusations that Thomas’ troubles stem from racism at Government Plaza are “absolute nonsense.”
“Nicki Patterson, the chief assistant district attorney, later pointed out that all the alleged victims are black. Thomas is black.”
Here we go again. Racism claims. I think the Country is getting sick and tired of this defence. Oh yes, lets drop the charges against this pervert because he’s black!
Bob:
Is it that you think racism doesn’t exist down South, or that you don’t like something about the person making the claim. Seems to me you’d be rightly upset with the government only if it were true, and relieved only when it was found to be untrue since you have more to fear from a capricious government that a Judge you will likely never face. That you are upset by the mere proffer of the defense and likely will slink back into obscurity if the defense proves to be true, may reveal more about you than you care for us to know.
Whenever racism is a defense now it means that the guy is guilty.
tom:
Read more; talk foolishly less. I suggest you start with “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Racism defense. Only in the USA.
Is the trial still set for today?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8290275.stm
Stel,
Thanks for following-up on ‘old’ threads instead of hijacking another unrelated thread as sometimes occurs with others’ actions.
Such follow-ups are often time-consuming while Searching for the old topics, although the effort is worthwhile since it helps resolve the topics, which then adds to the archival value of this blawg.