Former Alabama judge indicted on inmate sex charges

[cali]

Ex-Judge Herman Thomas posts bond after grand jury indicts him on 57 counts

Thomas' attorney questions alleged victims' credibility: "None of this is new"

Judge's legal counsel says charges are "racism at its very finest"

Alleged offenses include "paddling and/or whipping" on inmates' buttocks

By Ashley Broughton
CNN

(CNN) -- A former south Alabama judge is accused of checking male inmates out of jail and forcing them to engage in sexual activity including paddling, according to officials and court documents.


Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas denies all the charges, his attorney says.

Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas was arrested Friday after a grand jury returned the indictments against him. He was released on $287,500 bond later Friday.

The indictments total 57 counts, and the charges range from ethics violations to kidnapping, extortion, sex abuse and sodomy. If convicted on the most serious charge -- kidnapping, a Class A felony -- Thomas faces a prison sentence of 10 to 99 years in prison, Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. said Monday.

But Thomas' attorney, Robert Clark, said Friday the accusations against the former judge amount to "a high-tech lynching."

"Did you ever think of the fact that this is the only black circuit judge we've ever had in Mobile County and that the right-wing Republicans have gotten rid of him?" Clark said at a news conference, portions of which were posted on the Web sites of CNN affiliates WKRG-TV in and WALA-TV.

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/31/inmate.sex/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

[47of74]

1. Doesn't matter what his race or his politics are

If he is guilty of these things than he deserves punishment for his crimes. Especially given that he was a judge and that to use that for his own benefit attacks the very foundations of our society.

[cali]

2. agreed. and it looks like there's a fair amount of evidence against him