Supreme Court Denies Thomas' Petition

The Alabama Supreme Court has finally ruled on an emergency petition filed more than three weeks ago by former Mobile County Judge Herman Thomas.

The state's highest court denied the petition, which asked the justices to overturn an order issued March 9th by Circuit Court Judge Joseph "Rusty" Johnston. In the order, Johnston banned Thomas from practicing law in his courtroom, saying Thomas "used his office to threaten criminal defendants with jail time, penitentiary time and probation revocations if they did not engage in sexual acts with him."

According to the document filed in the Mobile County Circuit Court, Johnston said the decision was intended to "maintain the order and dignity of the Court." Johnston referenced a disc containing interviews with three criminal defendants, who claim they were subjected to Thomas' alleged misconduct.

In response to the Supreme Court decision, Thomas' attorney, Bob Clark, said "I guess any judge that doesn't like a lawyer can just disbar him. That's scary. I've been told by more than one person that my name is next on his list."

Since Johnson's order was issued, Thomas has been indicted on 57 counts of kidnapping, sodomy, sex abuse, extortion and ethics violations. Monday, the Alabama State Bar suspended his license all together, forbidding Thomas from pracitcing law in the entire state. Thomas is appealing that decision also. A hearing is scheduled for April 9th in Montgomery.

Thomas resigned from the bench in October 2007 amid allegations that he manipulated a jail sentence for his cousin, swapped cases on other judges dockets, and paddled prisoners from Mobile Metro Jail.