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Former Judge Herman Thomas Indicted on Sex, Ethics Charges
_http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Former-Judge-Herman-Thomas-Indict
ed-on-Sex-Ethics/Usq0WS5yP0q9fnmoQF0P9A.cspx_
(http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Former-Judge-Herman-Thomas-Indicted-on-Sex-Ethics/Usq0WS5yP0q9f
nmoQF0P9A.cspx)
Former
Mobile County Judge Arrested
( MOBILE , Ala. )(AP) March 26 - Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman
Thomas has bonded
out of the Mobile County Metro Jail after he was arrested
Friday afternoon.
Before his arrest, Thomas was indicted
by a grand jury on 57 felony
counts, accusing him of, among other things, sexually abusing Mobile County
inmates in exchange
for favors in his courtroom.
Thomas is charged with ethics violations, kidnapping, extortion, sexual
abuse and sodomy.
The indictment against him includes graphic details of
alleged paddling and other sexual favors.
Eight victims
are named in the indictment. All of the alleged victims are
men. Some still remain in Metro Jail.
"It's a
high-tech lynching," said Thomas's attorney, Bob Clark. "This is
racism as its very finest. We should be
proud citizens of this county and
proud we elected these bastards."
Friday, Mobile County District Attorney, John Tyson,
Jr., asked for other
possible victims of Thomas to come forward.
Thomas resigned from the bench in 2007
amid allegations that he took over
other judges' cases without their knowledge, checked inmates out of jail
and paddled
them, and involved himself in cases where he had personal
connections.
Thomas was let out of jail shortly after
he was arrested Friday, on a
$250,000 bond.
Tyson does not believe Thomas is a flight risk. Thomas's bond, however,
has
three conditions. Thomas is not allowed to have any contact with males
under the age of 21 or contact with witnesses
in the case or their family
members. If Thomas has a passport, he must give it up.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.
All Rights Reserved