Herman Thomas Jury Selection Begins

To read the jury questionnaire click here.

5:25 p.m.
-Prosecutors want to call a doctor to testify about sexual fetishes during the Thomas trial. Defense attorneys objected.
-Judge Claud Neilson is expected to make a ruling Tuesday.

4:06 p.m.
- The judge dismissed four more ethics charges.
- Thomas will be tried on 83 charges.

2:54 p.m.
- Judge dismissed 16 ethics charges but denied a motion to dismiss sodomy, sex abuse, assault and extortion because they were violent crimes.

1:06 p.m.
- Thomas' jury will be selected from a pool of 300 potential jurors.
- Jury questionnaire includes 62 questions.
- One question asks whether jurors are a member of specific organizations including 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, MAMGA, and a long list of fraternities.
- Another question asks if jurors have ties to Bishop State Community College.

10:34 a.m.
Jury selection began Monday in the sex abuse and extortion trial involving a former judge.

Herman Thomas is facing 103 felony charges stemming from allegations that he forced inmates to perform sexual acts under the threat of being thrown back in jail and in some cases in exchange for leniency in the courtroom.

Potential jurors received questionnaires Monday morning, which will be used by attorneys on both sides to strike the jury Wednesday.

Thomas will be back in court at 1 p.m. when Judge Claud Neilson, a retired judge from Marengo County, will rule on the defense's motion to dismiss many of the charges based on the statute of limitations.

According to Bob Clark, one of Thomas' attorneys, the judge issued an order Monday morning saying he will dismiss many of the 31 ethics violations that allegedly occurred more than four years ago, which is the statute for ethics charges.

The statute of limitations for other non-violent felonies in Alabama is three years.

Thomas, who was appointed to the Circuit Court bench in 1999, stepped down in October 2007 as the allegations began to surface.

News Five will be in the courtroom for this afternoon's hearing. Tune in to WKRG News Five at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for the latest.