Judge Drops 3 of 14 Cases In The Herman Thomas Sex Trial

1:35 p.m.
- Judge is waiting to decide on other charges until after defense rests.
- The defense will start presenting its case when court resumes at 2:00 p.m.

1:03 p.m.
The judge is deciding which charges will go to the jury. So far he is allowing all the sex abuse and kidnapping charges.

11:45 p.m.
The state (prosecution) has rested its case.

10:07 a.m.
Only 11 of the original 15 men accusing former Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Herman Thomas of paddling them in exchange for leniency will testify in Thomas' sex trial.

This morning, the judge dismissed the final three cases. He dismissed the case involving the 15th accuser before the trial began. The judge also dropped one of the sodomy charges saying the state did not meet its burden of proof on that charge. He also dismissed the remaining two ethics charges saying they are outside the statute of limitations.

The jury has been excused while attorneys hammer out whether the kidnapping and extortion charges will remain. He says there is enough evidence on the sex abuse charges to send those to jury. The judge has not yet ruled on the kidnapping, extortion, or assault charges.

Herman Thomas is charged with 52 felony counts including sex abuse, sodomy, kidnapping and extortion. Thomas has denied all of the allegations.

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