Violent crimes are down in Birmingham, Mobile, and slightly in Montgomery, but up in Huntsville

In a report where law enforcement agencies across the nation reported crime to the F.B.I., overall violent crime in Birmingham was down 12.8% from January through June, according to the report. Mobile reported a 9% decrease, and Montgomery a 3.8%t decrease.  However, Huntsville saw an 9.9% increase in violent crimes.

Under the helm of Birmingham Police Department Chief A.C. Roper, the city has seen a major improvement in the public safety.  Homicides have dropped significantly since he took the helm in late 2007 where it no longer surpasses the 100 mark annually, but more needs to occur.  However, overall Roper is doing a damn good job for Birmingham and hopefully we'll see another year of drastic decreases in the number of homicides and violent crimes in Birmingham. 

Now in Huntsville's case, poor execution along with the fallacy of the mentality where so many flocking there believe they are immune to crime in such a "shiny, growing city".  The city also has show a great amount of apathy to the black residents there were they have either been left out of the political process or were thrown under the bus.  Huntsville in my opinion, is just a giant suburb rather than a large city, where it would have came up with some type of action plan to handle such growth and realize that with growth comes crime.  Maybe it just a fluke this year in the numbers, but I doubt it considering there have been an increasing spike in homicides in Huntsville since 2003.

Herman Thomas found not guilty

The former Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Herman Thomas was found not guilty by the jury on 7 charges including 5 sexual abuse, sodomy, and sex assault charges.  Also Justice Claud Neilson dropped the other charges that the jury was deadlocked upon. 

Well, I felt that this was likely going to be the conclusion considering how over the past 2 weeks the charges when from the inital 60 to 40 then to 20 while the number of witnesses for the prosecution including those convicted by Herman while on the bench.  It was the inevitable.  Now, Thomas has been given the A'OK by the jury that his behavior and infractions, but that's how the cookie crumbles...

Update on Thomas Trial in Mobile: Kidnapping and Exhortion charges were dropped

According to the Mobile Press-Register, the counts of kidnapping and exhortion have been dropped as the Mobile County prosecution wrapped up their case against the former justice of the Alabama Circuit Court in Mobile.  However, Thomas has another 20 additional charges of assault, sex abuse, sodomy and attempted sodomy. he is facing and could be convicted of if found guilty by the jury.  Sodomy is the only class A felony among the charges, punishable by 10 years to life in prison according to Alabama state law. 

"I'm very happy with what is going to the jury," said Nicki Patterson, Mobile County chief assistant district attorney. "I'm ready to argue those to a jury."

The defense delivered this in their final statements:

"A person who has got a good reputation doesn't turn into some kind of sex predator at night," said attorney Jeff Deen.

The closing arguments of the trial against Herman Thomas begins today and most likely deliberation will began for the jury this weekend to determine whether he is found guilty or not guilty of the remaining 20 charges.

Former Judge Thomas is apparently bipolar or something...

The opening arguments of the trial of former judge Herman Thomas began Friday (unfortunately, I've been M.I.A., and missed it).  The 48-year-old husband and father faces more than 70 charges, including sex abuse, sodomy, assault, kidnapping and extortion in connection with 14 alleged victims who were criminal defendants or otherwise under his supervision as judge. Boy, was it DETAILED. 

The Mobile Press-Register covered the opening arguments of Mobile County chief assistant district attorney Nicki Patterson:

Thomas would pick men without fathers in their lives and who were in need of help, Patterson said, sometimes checking them out of jail.

Using the judges' secure elevator, he brought the men to an eighth-floor office with a glass panel that had been covered with paper, she said.
Inside, she said, Thomas told the young men to strip down and be paddled, or be sent back to jail. During the spankings, some of the men turned around to see Thomas masturbating or having an "obvious erection in his pants," Patterson said.

Patterson said Thomas also ordered men to masturbate or engage in oral sex with him.

Prosecution also accused Thomas of pulling certain inmates or defendants of that specified demographic from other judges' docket to handle and rule on the case himself.  They also called their first witness Circuit Judge Charles Gaddick, who was asked directly by Assistant District Attorney Martha Tierney if he would ever or had dinner with a defendant and Gaddick replied, "I've never been to dinner with a defendant, period."

According to the Thomas's lawyer, Jeff Deen, Thomas was the founder of the Mobile chapter of the 100 Black Men, and a "pillar of the community".  Deen also countered that the other judges asked Thomas personally to take these cases for a variety of reasons. 

This all went down while his wife was sitting there listening and watching the opening arguments by prosecution. 
 
After reading that about the details of that you can tell dude is a freaky ass clown and just nasty as hell.  Masturbating, paddling oral sex, and allegedly anal sex as well.  WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW!  You can't make this type of stuff up.  I'm going to stay on top of this for sure because this is only going to get more scandalous as it goes.  This along with Birmingham mayor's Larry Langford's trial will make this week VERY INTERESTING.