Politician: Permission to Paddle

Alabama Mobile Politician testifies she gave Herman Thomas permission to paddle her adult son.

by Bill Riales

Published: Thu, October 15, 2009 - 6:51 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, October 16, 2009 - 12:06 pm CST

MOBILE, Alabama - A prominent politician testified in the sexual abuse trial of former Circuit Court Judge Herman Thomas that Thomas asked her permission to paddle her son. The son who we are identifying only as Accuser 7, had become involved with marijuana and drugs, arrested several times and landed in Thomas' court. She also said she talked with Thomas on a few occasions about getting help for her son to get him on the right path.

Defense attorney Jeff Deen cross-examined the mother and asked her if she had not called Thomas perhaps as many as 30 or 40 times while her son was facing his legal troubles. She denied that saying she only talked to Thomas on occassion, and never used her position to gain favors for her son or anyone else. She said she looked to Thomas as a male mentor for her son. Her husband passed away in 1996.

Accuser 7, a federal inmate who is incarcerated at a facility in Forest City, Ark., testified that he was visited in Metro Jail by Thomas on several occassions. He said Thomas had even picked him up from jail and taken the accuser to the accuser's home. He also told the jury that one time, at about nine o'clock at night, Thomas picked him up from the jail and took him to the judge's office at Government Plaza. The accuser said Thomas told him too 'Drop'em' meaning his pants and underwear, and bend across a desk in a small office next to the former judge's main chambers. Accuser 7 said he was struck 5 to 8 times with a belt and collapsed onto the desk.

Defense attorney's asked Accuser 7 if it was true that during transit on his federal incarceration to Mobile to testify in a Grand Jury concerning the emerging allegations against Thomas, that he told other inmates he was going to tell them anything they wanted to hear about Judge Thomas. He denied that. Attorney Jeff Deen also asked if the accuser was holding a grudge against Thomas since Thomas denied the accuser's motion to serve his state and federal sentences concurrently. He denied that as well.

Earlier in the day the jury heard from two more Accusers we identify as numbers 5 and 6. Accuser 6 demonstrated on the witness stand how Thomas made him bend over a desk and that he was struck with a paddle several times. The accuser said Thomas told him, "You been bad and you need a whooping."

The trial is expected to resume at 9 am on Friday.

News 5's Tiffany Craig will be covering the trial on Friday and tweeting from inside the courtroom. Follow Tiffany's tweets at twitter.

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BamaBob Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 2:17 pm

They have the tweets going in the other thread now. “Court Cop…”

flyonthewall Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 2:04 pm

TIffany Craig is in court today. Why the KRG site stopped showing the tweets is unknown. See following newest to oldest…

Defense attorney Jeff Deen just told all of the reporters he would rather take a paddling than have to sit through
Jeff Deen says he would rather take a paddling than sit through more trial.2 minutes ago
Accuser 8 says no one asked him to lie in court. “I aint got no beef w Judge Thomas.”
Cowboy says Thomas always tried to help accuser. #8 agreed.
Defense questions Victim Eight about his status as a career criminal. Victim says he lives by his own rules. PT
Victim Eight says he begged Judge Thomas to whoop him. PT
“He’s like a monster. Aint nobody gonna do the wrong thing in his eyesight.” That’s how accuser 8 describes Judge Thomas
#8 says “he didn’t do anything wrong to me. He tried to help more than hurt me”
Accuser says he was standing, waiting for the frat board and closed his eyes as he was paddled 5 or 6 times.

#8 says “it was a no holds barred whooping.” Afterwards, he pulled up his clothes and tried to walk home

Accuser says he was taken to Thomas’ house and knew it was time. His “butt” was hanging out and “that sh** hurt”
#8 says Thomas “used to be my judge.” The 30yr old claimed that he “offered” to let Thomas give him whoopings.
Accuser 8 just took the stand. He’s 30yrs old and serving 10yrs in Bibb Co Correctional facility for marijuana possession.about 1 hour ago from

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 9:10 am

Hmmmmm….... not the first update on day 5 and they have been grilling Figures all morning. Should have paid Jessica overtime to stay in that courtroom!

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 7:58 am

Over at Lagniappe the reporters say the defense had a good morning yesterday, because of many contradictions coming from the alleged victims.

It is really hard to get a feel for how it is going in the courtroom, when just reading updates. So, who knows how this thing will turn out…..

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 7:43 am

It is more than strange that a judge would ask a parent, if he could paddle a 22-year-old man. Not sure if all the claims are true, but that alone goes way outside the realm of normality.

dementfsu Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 7:10 am

..lol…this whole thing is funny..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BamaBob Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 6:02 am

I had a dream last night. I kept hearing Cowboy Bob saying, “If the paddle don’t fit…...”

rmseek1234 Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 5:52 am

LOL-dougstech….I think this will be the ONLY time I will ever agree with you. Don’t let it go to your head.

Jlynnsmom Says:

Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 12:39 am

That “kid” is an adult and has been for a while and in and out of the system…soon as he got picked up -mysteriously he was out again….check into that one… then committing armed robberies out on bond…Suppose why she had to testify…to protect her career it seems since all the ones Herman was lenient with that got cush deals would be coming out in trial…yeah small world isn;t it?