Bow-Tie Wearing Judge Gets 5 Year Suspension

The guy to the right, if Mobile, Alabama former Circuit Judge Herman Thomas.  Apparently Judge Thomas had a thing for paddling prisoners and other sorts of very strange and sexual stuff outside the presence of the inmates' lawyers.  He was indicted, prosecuted and ultimately acquitted of criminal behavior. 

The Alabama State Bar Association was not impressed by the acquittaly according to a report at AI.com which found clear evidence of misconduct.  At a minimum, even assuming the inmates who were whacked by the Judge were not credible witnesses at his criminal trial, the ovewhelming evidence of improper ex parte communications by the Judge with these inmates was satisfactory to put the Judge at considerable ethics peril. 

Well, Judge Thomas is nothing if not resilient, he is running for the State Senate, and reports are he is "very electable." 

By the way, this is the second bow-tie wearing pervy-lawyer we've covered at Bad Lawyer.   I point this out, because too many beknighted young lawyers gone down this tragic path, fashionwise.