Self,
I just heard about a trial that I believe started this week. The trial is in Alabama for Herman Thomas. Thomas is a former judge accused of having sex with male inmates in exchange for leniency in their cases. If convicted, he faces anywhere from 20 years up to life in prison, based on the most serious charges - sodomy and kidnapping.
Thomas' career as a judge was one of some notariety in so much that he had surprised critics by being an African-American Democrat that was elected and re-elected in a county that is overwhelmingly white and increasingly Republican and at one point was a nominee to the first black judge appointed to the federal courts in south Alabama.
Thomas' career as a judge was one of some notariety in so much that he had surprised critics by being an African-American Democrat that was elected and re-elected in a county that is overwhelmingly white and increasingly Republican and at one point was a nominee to the first black judge appointed to the federal courts in south Alabama.
These allegations of sexual misconduct date back as far as 1999 (his first year as a circuit judge,) and first surfaced in 2001 during a lawsuit filed by by an inmate, but the lawsuit was dismissed. With the dismissal of the lawsuit, Thomas' reputation continued without any other blemishes.
Supposedly what caught the attentions of the authorities about Herman Thomas is the fact that in 2006 he changed the jail sentence by another judge for his cousin, a county school commissioner. This led authorities to notice that he did the same thing for other cases handled by other judges.
Supposedly what caught the attentions of the authorities about Herman Thomas is the fact that in 2006 he changed the jail sentence by another judge for his cousin, a county school commissioner. This led authorities to notice that he did the same thing for other cases handled by other judges.
Thomas' defense attorney says that the allegations are an attempt to wreck the judge's career, and Thomas even has the support of the NAACP, which has come to his defense to say that his prosecution is racially motivated. The prosecution attorney denies the racial element, states that the victims were all black, records collaborates inmates visits to Thomas's private office, and there is even court records noting one inmate's seminal fluid on the office carpet.
OK, there are the facts in this situation (as far as I know of them.) So, I have to ask....How in the hell does the court have a record of an inmate ejaculating on the carpet in Thomas' office? I mean I'm no lawyer or anything but doesn't a COURT REPORTER/RECORDER have to be present in order to enter information in to the court records? If that's true....doesn't that mean this is essentially an open and shut case, the details of at least one of those private meetings with these inmates was witnessed...right? At the very least it does lend a strong hand to the prosecution's case.
Seminal fluid aside. I understand the desire to help family when they are in trouble....but how simple-minded is it to think that one can interfere with the case of a relative and not get caught. In some way I think if he left his cousin's case alone, he could still be having his choice of inmates. (I'm not saying that he should have been having sex with the inmates but I think I can....sympathize. I mean I would bet all those country bruhs have dick for days and big bubble asses!) But I'm slightly glad to see that Thomas chose to help his family member over the continued access to sex with inmates.
I would probably agree that these allegations are probably an attempt to ruin Thomas' career, and that this attempt may even be racially motivated. I think the prosecution is stupid for pointing out that the victims are black as a means of disputing the racial motivation for prosecutiing Thomas. I mean SOMETHING/SOMEONE is urging these inmates to talk about it. If Thomas had half the brain it took to become a judge, I'm sure he actually followed through with his deals with these men and gave them a lighter sentence. (Yes, I know he shouldn't abuse his power that way.) The point is that assuming that Thomas did follow through, then it's possible that these men may have seen the sexual favor as a small sacrifice in order to get out of jail sooner. Hell I might trade some of my seminal fluids to get out of jail a few years earlier...but I don't think I would want to broadcast that information to everyone, so it's likely that these men may not have said anything about it on their own either.
That said I am of course inclined to applaud the NAACP for taking a stand to combat racism at any and every turn. However, I think it may actually have been a bad idea. I know and understand that racism still plays a major role in a lot of areas in this country, but I think the race card was played frivolously in this situation. If it is on record that an inmate ejaculated on the judge's carpet...then it would suggest SOMETHING was going on that shouldn't have been. And if Thomas did do something wrong, then he did wrong, he knew he did wrong, and it's the job of the State's prosecution team to address those improper actions. Hell personally, I think he would have a better defense if he claimed temporary insanity by means of having been "dickmatized" by these men, that makes a bit more sense than saying "I'm being accused of having sex with these men because I'm Black." Really, that's suppose fly - is it me or does that sound stupid???? Truthfully I think in this situation using racism makes it seem that Black folks just us racism as a scapegoat to get over. Which makes it that much hard in situations where racism is really at the root of an issue.
Ok so here is the million dollar question: (Drum role please.)
Do you think this man was the top or the bottom in these alleged sodomy charges?
Sincerely,
Pharaoh
That said I am of course inclined to applaud the NAACP for taking a stand to combat racism at any and every turn. However, I think it may actually have been a bad idea. I know and understand that racism still plays a major role in a lot of areas in this country, but I think the race card was played frivolously in this situation. If it is on record that an inmate ejaculated on the judge's carpet...then it would suggest SOMETHING was going on that shouldn't have been. And if Thomas did do something wrong, then he did wrong, he knew he did wrong, and it's the job of the State's prosecution team to address those improper actions. Hell personally, I think he would have a better defense if he claimed temporary insanity by means of having been "dickmatized" by these men, that makes a bit more sense than saying "I'm being accused of having sex with these men because I'm Black." Really, that's suppose fly - is it me or does that sound stupid???? Truthfully I think in this situation using racism makes it seem that Black folks just us racism as a scapegoat to get over. Which makes it that much hard in situations where racism is really at the root of an issue.
Ok so here is the million dollar question: (Drum role please.)
Do you think this man was the top or the bottom in these alleged sodomy charges?
Sincerely,
Pharaoh
