Trooper Stratford Young Charged with Sodomy of Minor & Rape

Kenton Smith, attorney for former Kentucky State Police trooper Stratford Young, filed the motion Thursday in Meade Circuit Court in Brandenburg.

Young is charged with two counts of third-degree sodomy and one count of third-degree rape.

According to Young’s indictment, the offenses with a then-15-year-old girl occurred “on or about May 22, 2013, through July 31, 2013.”

All of Young’s charges claim he was a “person in a position of authority or position of special trust” when he engaged in sex acts, including intercourse, with the underage girl as a result of his position of authority.

The motion calls into question the definition of a person in a position of authority or position of special trust in a Kentucky Revised Statute subsection, of which Young is charged.

The statute defines position of authority to mean parents — biological, adoptive, foster or step — adult youth leader, teacher, school employee and others. It does not list a police or law enforcement officer.

Smith said because the statute neglects to list police officers, it is unconstitutionally vague, which is grounds for dismissal.

“Essentially, they are trying to put a square peg in a round hole,” he said of the Commonwealth’s charges in an interview following the hearing. “The motion is well taken in law and fact. We’re cautiously optimistic the charges will be dismissed.”

Jefferson County As­sist­ant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Farmer, special prosecutor for the case, said she anticipated the motion.

“We expected it to come,” she said. “We’re not surprised.”

Farmer now has 45 days to file a response to the motion and Smith was given 30 days following Farmer’s response to file his. Once both responses are filed, then the Judge Bruce Butler will make a determination.

No future court date was set in the case.

Robert Schaefer, attorney for former Brandenburg police officer Todd Matti, said he is awaiting the outcome of the motion made in Young’s case to file one of his own.

He also said in court a plea offer was made to his client, but he did not disclose the details.

Matti is charged with two counts of third-degree sodomy.

According to Matti’s indictment, the offenses occurred “on or about Nov. 16, 2012, in Meade County,” six days after the girl turned 15.

The second count charges third-degree sodomy by a “person in a position of authority or position of special trust” when Matti engaged in “deviate sexual intercourse” with the underage girl as a result of his position of authority.

An indictment is an allegation, not proof of guilt.

The motion Smith made could be “terminal” to the Commonwealth’s case against Young based on precedent and it applies to one of his client’s charges, Schaefer said.

The next appearance for Matti is a pre-trail conference at 9 a.m. June 19.

Both men have entered not guilty pleas and requested court files, including documents from the investigation, be sealed. The Commonwealth’s did not object. Matti and Young remain free on a 10 percent of $10,000 cash bond.

Schaefer and Smith said they had to supply an external hard drive to the Commonwealth attorney for discovery.

“The investigators in the case did a thorough job,” Smith said. “The information provided is voluminous.”

Because of all the in­formation, Schaefer said the process will be lengthy.

“It takes time to work through all that for rel­evant information,” Schaefer said. “I’m going to continue to work through discovery on this.”

KSP Post 4 spokesman Jeff Gregory said the case originally was brought to the post July 31 with a complaint of a KSP trooper from Post 4 having inappropriate relations with an underage girl. The investigation, which is ongoing, uncovered additional allegations against another KSP trooper, a Brandenburg police officer, a Breckinridge County sheriff’s deputy and an adult male in another state.

In an interview March 3, Jefferson County Com­monwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine, whose office has been assigned as special prosecutors in the case, said indictments would be sought against four individuals during the grand jury presentation Monday. Only cases against Matti and Young were presented.

Information regarding former trooper Jerry Clanton and former Breckinridge County Sheriff’s deputy Chris Woosley have not been presented to the grand jury and Farmer said she has no intentions of presenting those cases while the other two are ongoing.

“We do not have an intention to present anything else,” she said. “We are focusing on this case.”

Clanton admitted to sexual relations with the girl during a KSP Trial Board in early January appealing his termination.

Farmer said the cases are moving normally through the court system.

“It’s our judicial process,” she said. “We’re moving as timely as we can.”

Matti resigned Oct. 15 and Woosley resigned Sept. 5. Young and Clanton were terminated from employment Sept. 13.

Detention Officer Keenan Notae Arrested for Rape

A DeKalb County detention officer is behind bars on accusations that he sexually assaulted a woman after getting her drunk, officials said.

Keenan Notae, 24, was arrested Wednesday by DeKalb County police and charged with rape, sodomy and furnishing alcohol to a person under age, authorities said.

On Jan. 14, DeKalb police spokesman Capt. Stephen Fore said he went on a date with a 19-year-old woman and gave her alcoholic drinks.

"She became intoxicated and was sexually assaulted by Notae," Fore said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Investigators found forensic evidence from the incident that they sent for testing.

Fore said the results authorities received Wednesday "were conclusive enough for detectives to obtain arrest warrants for Notae."

Notae was arrested at his home Wednesday night, police said.

A DeKalb detention officer for three years, Notae is being held at the jail in lieu of $500 bond, according to jail records. He is segregated from the general population, DeKalb County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Cynthia Williams told the AJC.

Notae has also been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation, Williams said.

He is scheduled to make his first court appearance this afternoon.

Two Former Officers Indicted on Sex Abuse Charges

A grand jury has indicted a former Kentucky State Police trooper and a former Brandenburg police officer on sex abuse charges.

The two are accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old.

Click here to watch story

Former KSP Trooper Stratford Young was indicted on one count of rape third-degree and two counts of third-degree sodomy.

"It's disappointing for several families, for our agency, for the state of Kentucky," said Trooper Jeff Gregory.

Former Brandenburg police Officer Todd Matti was indicted on two counts of third-degree sodomy.

Special prosecutor Tom Wine told Judge Bruce Butler they chose not to present indictments against other individuals, but did not say why.

Both men entered not guilty pleas at their arraignments Monday afternoon.

"We protect and we serve, to the best of our ability, and at times things happen that may not represent our agency the way we want it represented," said Gregory.

Former Trooper Stratford Young and Officer Todd Matti Charged with Sodomy on 15-year-old

Two former law enforcement officers accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor were indicted by the Meade County Grand Jury.

Charges against former Kentucky State Trooper Stratford Young and former Brandenburg City Police Officer Todd Matti were presented by Jefferson County Assistant Commonwealth Attorneys Sara Farmer and Bill Burt and Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney Thomas Wine.

"It's disappointing for several families for our agency, for the state of Kentucky," Kentucky State Police Public Affairs Officer, Jeff Gregory said.

Stratford Young, 33, and  Todd Matti, 44, face two counts of Sodomy  in the Third Degree against a 15-year-oldgirl. Matti's charges date back to November, 2012. Young also charged with Rape in the Third Degree. His alleged encounters with the teen date back from May to July, 2013. They both plead not guilty.

"When I heard it was Stratford, I couldn't believe it," Wesley Veatch, a Brandenburg resident told WAVE 3 News.

News of the indictments spread around town- a Kentucky State Police Trooper fired from the job he was respected for.

"He's one of the most decorated officers that I've heard, I would have never thought he'd done something like that," Veatch said.

Todd Matti resigned as a Brandenburg Police officer. We interviewed him last May for saving a teen's life.

"I didn't realize how much recognition we'd get, but it's humbling," Matti said back then.

Both men walked away from our camera after the hearing. Two other officers have also been accused. Their cases were not presented Monday....prosecutors told us that was to avoid jeopardizing the evidence they say they have against Matti and Young.

"You hate to uh, see anything of this nature come about, but we'll just fall back and let the court system do what it's supposed to do," Gregory said.

The two men paid $1,000 towards their bond. Their next court date is May 22nd.

Sgt. Rick St. Blanchard, a spokesperson for KSP headquarters, confirmed Young was terminated from the Elizabeth town post on September 13, 2013 after the investigation was launched concerning accusations of inappropriate behavior involving a 15-year-old girl.

Matti, who was awarded by the Army for his role in saving the life of a teenager in May 2013, resigned from his position in October 2013 after the investigation came to light.

Young was charged with rape and two counts of sodomy. Matti is charged with two counts of sodomy.

Young and Matti are not currently in custody. Both their cases are scheduled for a pretrial conference May 22 in Meade County.

Officer Mark Ridley Arrested for Forcing Ex to Have Sex with Him at Gunpoint

MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma

A suspended Muskogee police officer was placed behind bars without bond Thursday after he allegedly forced an estranged love interest to have sex with him.

Mark Ridley is accused of chasing her down the street in his vehicle, ultimately ramming her off the road, before ordering her to perform sexual acts with him at gunpoint.

Ridley was arrested Thursday morning, hours after the Muskogee County district attorney say the crimes occurred, and charged with kidnapping, sodomy and assault and battery with a motor vehicle. A judge entered a not guilty plea for the officer, who was placed on leave in December for another matter related to the woman, Thursday afternoon.

The judge granted the DA's request that Ridley be held without bond after the DA explained he had tried to commit suicide in his jail cell earlier in the day. The DA also expressed concern he might try and hurt his alleged victim.

Court records show the woman filed two protective orders against the man: one in December and another Wednesday, the day of the alleged assault.

To avoid any conflicts of interest, the case will now be handled by the Delaware County District Attorney's Office. Muskogee County DA Larry Moore said following Ridley's arraignment that the decision was made to avoid any "appearance of impropriety."

"So ... there won't be any accusations that either we were too harsh or not harsh enough. We just want the right thing to happen in the case," he said.

Delaware County is also tasked with investigating the incident that led to Ridley's suspension.

Trial Starts for Officer Kenneth Tomlinson II Charged with Sexually Assaulting Boy Scout

The top police officer in a remote eastern Missouri town was ordered to stand trial Monday on charges that he sexually assaulted two members of the Boy Scout troop he led after an investigator testified that the officer had confessed to the crimes.

Kenneth Tomlinson II, 42, faces 16 counts of sodomy. Madison County Judge Robin Fulton set an arraignment date of March 18 following emotional testimony at the preliminary hearing, at which only prosecutors presented evidence. Fulton determined they had enough to warrant a trial.

Tomlinson, who stands about 6-foot-2 and weighs well over 300 pounds, sat passively during the hearing, his wrists cuffed in front of him. The alleged victims, ages 12 and 14, were also in the courtroom but mostly looked away from him.

Fulton closed the hearing to the public during testimony from the boys. The Associated Press generally does not identify those who say they were victims of sex crimes.

During the open session, a teenage girl sobbed as she testified that she became aware of the abuse on Jan. 2, when she found sexually explicit text messages on the 14-year-old boy's phone. She told her parents, who contacted police.

The case was turned over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Investigator Scott Rawson was the first to interview Tomlinson.

"He dropped his head," Rawson testified. "I said, 'This happened, didn't it?' He shook his head yes."

Rawson said Tomlinson admitted the assaults began last spring, usually on Mondays after Scout meetings, and usually in his truck. Sometimes, Rawson said, Tomlinson would drive the boys to an old lead mine or an industrial park. Other times, the assaults happened at the location of the Scout meetings, Rawson said.

Public defender Susan DeGeorge asked whether Rawson had taped the confession, and Rawson acknowledged he was able to tape only part of it.

A probable cause statement from the Highway Patrol also said Tomlinson admitted videotaping some of the acts. The statement said Tomlinson and the boys viewed the video on the camera screen, then he destroyed the recordings.

Tomlinson joined the police department in Fredericktown — a community of 4,100 about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis — as a patrolman in 1997. He was promoted to captain, the equivalent of the town's police chief, in April. Tomlinson is on unpaid leave until the case is adjudicated, and he remains jailed on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

The judge on Monday denied a request from DeGeorge to reduce the bond and allow Tomlinson to stay near relatives in the Chicago area.

DeGeorge left the hearing without commenting to reporters.

Joe Mueller of the Boy Scouts of America's Greater St. Louis Council said the council has not been contacted by police or prosecutors and officials did not previously know that the victims were members of Tomlinson's Scout troops.

Mueller said Tomlinson had led the troops in Fredericktown since 1998. His association with Scouting was revoked after his arrest.

Gerald Amidon Recieves $150,000 After Officer Threatens to Sodomize Him With Taser

We previously followed the case of Gerald Amidon, who sued the Boise police department for allegedly threatening to sodomize him with a taser and using excessive force in his arrest, including tasering him on the buttocks. He has now settled for only $150,000 and, despite a highly disturbing tape of the incident, the police department is able to claim no fault as part of the settlement.

While against policy, the police insisted that the officer (who also threatened to shock his genitalia) merely failed to follow guidelines — the name of the officer has not been released despite the release of the audio tape below. The officer actually states on the tape that he had already sodomized Amidon with the taser when he threatened to deliver a second shock first to his anus and then to his genitalia.

Amidon stated that on February 14th he did not realize that the men forcing their way into his apartment were officers. He tried to block the door — resulting in three officers throwing him to the ground. After tasering him, the officer threatened to sodomize the man and deliver an anal shocking with his taser.

Here is the exchange:

Officer #3: Do you feel this?
Complainant: Yes, sir.
Officer #3: Do you feel that? That’s my -
Complainant: Okay
Officer #3: -Taser up your ass.
Complainant: Okay
Officer #3: So don’t move.
Complainant: I’m trying not to. I can’t breathe.
…
Officer #3: Now do you feel this in your balls?
Complainant: I do, sir. I’m not going to move. I’m not gonna move.
Officer #3 Now I’m gonna tase your balls if you move again.
A minute later, this exchange occurred:
Officer #3: Okay, I’m gonna take this Taser out of your asshole now. Are you going to fight with me?
Complainant: No, not at all, sir.

A supervisor later erased an audio recording of an interview with the man at the jail and did not write a report on the use of force in the arrest. While the officers have been “disciplined,” they were not removed from the force.

Boise Community Ombudsman Pierce Murphy found that the actions of the officer were not illegal but found abuse, here. You have an officer who says that he just sodomized a suspect and threatened to torture him. That is not unlawful in Boise?

In the internal investigation , here. Murphy found that there was no threat at the time of the incident:

“At the time that he was Tased on the buttocks, the Complainant was handcuffed and lying face-down on the floor. Officer #1 was holding the Complainant’s head and upper torso down with a knee across his shoulders. Officer #4 was positioned near the Complainant’s waist preparing to search the Complainant, and Officer #3 was situated near the Complainant’s legs and feet … Based on what he observed, Officer #2 saw no need to assist Officer #1, Officer #3, and Officer #4 in controlling the Complainant. According to Officer #1, the Complainant “mellowed out” after being handcuffed.”

He filed a complaint detailing the abuse and asked for $500,000 in punitive damages.

The reported settlement of $150,000 seems a bit low given the egregious conduct and lack of admission of fault. Of course, we are not the “boots on the ground” in the case and the legal team was probably discounting for the avoidance of trial costs and appeals. However, given the response of the Police Department, I was hoping to see a more punitive element to the liability to guarantee a greater deterrent effect. If it was not for this tape, this case would never have seen the light of day.

It was the result of mediation with the judge in the federal court. It also contained a reported confidentiality agreement barring public comment.
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Former Officer Bob Ingle Convicted of Raping Child

A Mobile County Jury convicted a former Chickasaw Police Officer of sexually abusing his step-daughter. Bob Ingle was convicted of raping and sodomizing the 10-year-old. For Rebecca McEvoy's family, the verdict has been long overdue.

It took several years for the case to make it to a courtroom. But it took a jury less than two hours to find Bob Ingle guilty of raping and sodomizing his ten year old step daughter, Rebecca McEvoy.

It's a bitter sweet verdict for Rebecca's father.

"Been a long three years and Rebecca finally got justice, and took a pervert off the streets so other kids can be safe," said Aden McEvoy, Rebecca's father.

Rebecca died in a car accident in 2008, before the case could be heard. Her death played a part in the delay because in Alabama, a defendant has the right to cross examine a witness.

So, Assistant District Attorney Ella Byrd called on Rebecca's best friend, and Rebecca's sister to tell her story of sexual abuse. The state showed Rebecca shared with them, the horror she suffered at the hands of her step father.

"I didn't know what the verdict was going to be, if they were going to find him innocent, I didn't know how I would act. When they said guilty, all I could do was look up and say thank you Becca, thank you God," said Nina Tucker, Rebecca's sister.

Bob Ingle, now a convicted child rapist, faces life in prison for raping and sodomizing Rebecca. A little girl whom her father said had a contagious smile.

Ingle will be allowed to remain out on bond until a hearing in February. Judge Michael Youngpeter ordered Ingle to wear a monitoring device and have no contact with children. Ingle will be sentenced February 25, 2010.
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Michael Mineo Awaits Justice for Officer Sodomizing Him

Michael Mineo - the star witness in the trial of a police officer accused of sodomizing him - has a checkered past but says he did nothing to deserve what happened to him.

"I just can't wait for this trial to start," Mineo told the Daily News. "I want justice.

"Do you know how much anger I have? He's going down. He violated me and he tried to sweep it under the rug."

In the trial, starting in Brooklyn Supreme Court this week and expected to last a month, Officer Richard Kern faces 25 years behind bars on charges of sodomizing Mineo with a collapsible police baton on a Prospect Park station subway platform on Oct. 15, 2008.

Officers Alex Cruz and Andrew Morales face four years on charges of covering up the assault.

The three Brooklyn cops, who have all denied the charges and say no assault took place, chased Mineo after spotting him with a joint. Kern allegedly assaulted Mineo as he struggled while being cuffed by a fourth officer.

Mineo's lawyer Stephen Jackson has filed a federal civil suit against the police and says his client is still suffering from posttraumatic stress.

Police officials at first scoffed at Mineo's claims, but prosecutors reinterviewed witnesses, viewed Mineo's medical records and took the case to the grand jury, which voted to indict after two police witnesses came forward.

Mineo - who has been busted for marijuana, stolen credit cards and a melee at a tattoo parlor where he was a body piercer - will be the main witness at the trial.

"The evidence will just speak for itself," said Mineo, who now works at Staples. "Talking about [my] arrests doesn't bother me, not one bit. That has nothing to do with me being sodomized.

"I could have been a murderer - that has nothing to do with it. They could say whatever they want about me. They're trying to bring dirt. I'm ready."

Still, how Mineo behaves on the stand may be as crucial as what he says. "I'm going to hold my composure, but I'm not going to be treated like the one who did something wrong," he said. "I'll look him [Kern] in the eye; he won't even be able to look me in the eye. I pray for Richard Kern. ... He crossed the line and he's going to do time," says Mineo.

"I hope that everything ends up well for him, but I don't forgive him. ... I pray for him. I pray for all my enemies."

Former Officer Monte Montalvo Sentenced to One Year in Prison

A U.S. District judge sentenced a fired Buffalo police officer to one year in prison today for his conviction on unlawful possession of a firearm while subject to an order of protection involving his former spouse.

Monte R. Montalvo, 39, of Cheektowaga, also is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in state court for his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to commit a criminal sexual act involving sodomy.

That reduced charge stemmed from allegations that he tried to molest a 19-year-old college student on Dec. 2, 2007. He was fired a year ago from the police department.

Federal Judge William M. Skretny sentenced Montalvo today.

Under federal statutes, law enforcement personnel cannot possess a weapon outside of their work shift if they are subject to a court order involving a domestic situation, authorities explained.

Meanwhile, State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski is scheduled to sentence Montalvo on the state charge. Montalvo's plea in that case forced him to register with the state as a convicted sex offender.

Michalski could sentence Montalvo to up to a year in jail.

Montalvo, a decorated former police officer, has been living on a state disability pension due to knee injuries suffered on the job.

The investigation into the weapons charge involved local FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, with assistance from city police.

Officer Kenneth Tomlinson II Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Boys

The top police officer in a remote Missouri town, a giant of a man who was also a Boy Scout leader, has been accused of sexually assaulting two boys, videotaping the acts and then destroying the recordings.

Kenneth Tomlinson II, 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 16 counts of sodomy. Authorities say he admitted having sex with the two boys, who are now 12 and 14. Tomlinson was jailed in Cape Girardeau County on $100,000 cash-only bond. Court records indicated he did not yet have an attorney.

Tomlinson joined the police department in Fredericktown — a community of 4,100 about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis — as a patrolman in 1997. He was promoted to captain, the top job, in April.

Mayor Danny Kemp, who said he was "floored" by the news of the captain's arrest, said the progress Tomlinson made while supervising six full-time officers was impressive.

"He turned the department around," Kemp said, inside his office just off the town square. "He was a great leader."

But Vicky Manche, who owns an A&M Restaurant downtown, said teens derisively referred to Tomlinson — described by one city worker as 6-foot-2 and about 450 pounds — as "Baby Huey."

"They ought to string him up," Manche said. "It's really pitiful when you put your trust in somebody and this happens. My grandsons are Boy Scouts so this hits close to home."

Manche's grandsons were not part of Tomlinson's troops, and it was not known if the alleged victims were either.

The two boys told authorities that the sexual abuse began last spring. One boy is 12, but was 11 when it began, he said. The other is 14.

A probable cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tomlinson admitted to having sex with the boys and videotaping some of the acts. The statement said Tomlinson and the boys viewed the video on the camera screen, then he destroyed the recordings.

Joe Mueller of the Boy Scouts of America's Greater St. Louis Council said he didn't know if the victims were members of Tomlinson's Boy Scout or Cub Scout troops. He said Tomlinson had led the troops in Fredericktown since 1998. His association with scouting has been revoked, Mueller said.

"Our heart goes out to the families of the children involved in the allegations," Mueller said. "We have made it a fundamental part of our organization to protect youth members and adult leaders as well."

Kemp said Tomlinson had no previous criminal record. He has been placed on unpaid leave from the department until the case is adjudicated. Sgt. Jason Gordon has taken over as interim leader of the department.

At the Mills Barbershop across from City Hall, owner Jane Mills said some of those getting haircuts found the allegations too difficult to talk about. Those who discussed it were mostly in shock, she said.

"It's very concerning because he's a policeman and a scout leader," she said. "It's very sad, and it's an embarrassment that something like this could happen."

University Officer Webster Simmons Charged with Rape and Sodomy

A Duke University police officer is arrested here in Houston county, accused of raping and sodomizing a female acquaintance.

37-year-old Webster Simmons of Rougemont, North Carolina is charged with first degree rape and sodomy.

The Houston County Sheriff's office says Simmons was in Dothan visiting family this past weekend.

Authorities say Simmons drugged his victim at a local bar, used bondage to subdue her, and then raped her in his truck.

Investigators say they found a whip, handcuffs, and other sexual bondage items in Simmons' car.

The victim claims she woke up during the rape, was handcuffed and had a gag in her mouth.

“This is not the type of rapes and sodomies that we commonly see with this type of bondage and this type of material that have been used during the commission of the rape. So it does disturb us, it makes us wonder if this individual has committed these types of crimes anywhere in the United States where may have been,” said Houston Co. Sheriff Andy Hughes.

Simmons has been suspended by Duke University Police.

His bond is set at $120,000 dollars.
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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/161330.html

Officer Cleveland Reynolds Arrested for Rape and Sodomy

A West Precinct officer has been charged with rape and sodomy, Birmingham police announced this evening.

A 23-year-old woman told police that Officer Cleveland Reynolds, who has been with the department for a year, sexually assaulted her while he was on duty.

Reynolds, who works the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on bonds totaling $120,000.

Police said the assault happened on July 9 in the western part of the city. Police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams declined to provide additional information about the incident.

Williams said he did not know if Reynolds has an attorney.

Reynolds is on paid administrative leave.
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http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/birmingham_police_officer_arrested_for_rape_and_sodomy/83586/

Jesus Manuel Sanchez Arrested on Sex Offenses

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that Salinas police Officer Jesus Manuel Sanchez was arrested Monday night.

Sanchez, 34, was arrested by the Salinas Police Department about 8 p.m on suspicion of assault with the intent to commit mayhem or a specified sex offense including rape, sodomy or oral copulation.

The Sheriff's Office said Sanchez has since posted the $300,000 bail.

He is scheduled to appear in court on July 15.

Sanchez worked for the Sheriff's Office as a deputy in 1998.

Salinas police said they will release additional information at a press conference at 2 p.m. at the City Hall Rotunda.

Sanchez stepped down as the Alisal boys soccer coach after five seasons in 2008.

While coaching the Trojans, he won four league championships (three straight in the Monterey Bay League) and the school’s first Tri-County Athletic League title in 2008) — all with unbeaten records — and took his team to three CCS Division I semifinals and one final.

In 56 league matches, which included three years in the MBL and two in the T-CAL, the Trojans lost just once under Sanchez’s guidance.

He was The Salinas Californian’s All-County Boys Coach of the Year four times.
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http://thecalifornian.com/article/20090708/NEWS01/907080307/1002/Salinas-police-officer-accused-of-assaulting-woman-with-intent-to-rape

57 Felony Counts Filed Against Ex-Judge Herman Thomas

A special Mobile County grand jury today returned indictments on 57 felony counts against ex-circuit court judge Herman Thomas, including ethics violations, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sex abuse, first-and-second-degree extortion and first-degree sodomy.

The indictments involve eight alleged victims Thomas supposedly extorted for sexual favors during his time as a judge. Thomas resigned from the circuit court just over two years ago amid an Alabama Judicial Inquiries Commission investigation into allegations he spanked inmates in a secret room in the courthouse and also surreptitiously removed cases from other judges’ dockets and had them placed on his own. Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson, Jr. delivered the indictments during a 2:30 press conference at the Mobile County Courthouse.

Named as victims in the indictments were Jhordis Woods, Necester Warmack, Douglas Hill, Akil Figures, Mitee Meardry, Thaddeus Hale, Deangelo Daughtry, Marcus Vaughn and Darrius Lane. Figures is the son of State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures. All men are either currently housed in the Mobile Metro Jail, or have spent time there. Normally Lagniappe would not name victims of alleged sexual abuse, but given the highly charged political nature of this case we believe it is unrealistic to expect they will stay secret and even unfair to Thomas.

The grand jury charged Thomas with sexually violating all of the men and with using his position to solicit sexual favors from them. In the case of some alleged victims like Woods, the grand jury also found that Thomas used Woods’ labor for his private benefit to materially affect his financial interest. Tyson would not elaborate on the specifics of what the charges meant, saying he was going to be extremely careful with information surrounding the case, and that he was unhappy with what he considered to be the dissemination of sensitive information. “I’m really disturbed about some of the leaks that I have been reading about in that regard. We’re going to find out as best we can from where all that came,” Tyson said.

Thomas was arrested outside of Mobile County Metro Jail just minutes before Tyson’s press conference. His attorney “Cowboy” Bob Clark was holding his own press conference when D.A.’s investigators walked up and arrested Thomas and took him into the jail to be booked. Prior to the arrest, Clark categorized the indictments as a, “high-tech lynching. It’s racism at its finest by the white folks at the courthouse.”

Tyson dismissed the charges of racism out of hand. All of Thomas’ alleged victims are black.

Prior to Tyson’s press conference, there was a brief moment of drama when Clark showed up and was told by one of Tyson’s investigators, Tony Goubil, that he couldn’t stay. Clark said Goubilwould have to arrest him if he wanted him to leave. Finally the Goubil told Clark he was under arrest. “One of your goons is going to arrest me,” Clark hollered as he was lead down the hallway to an awaiting Tyson. After a short meeting, Clark was allowed to return, although he sat quietly. Tyson later made certain to point out that Clark was not under arrest.

Thomas faced a bond of $287,500. He was bonded out of jail Friday afternoon.

If convicted, the former judge could face an extremely long stretch in jail, as the charges against him carry some pretty severe penalties.

“The grand jury leveled what I consider to be very serious charges. The most serious is a Class A felony. There are a number of Class Bs here and Class C felonies. The Class A is punishable by a range of 10 to 99 Bs 2 to 20, Cs 1 to 10. I would say anytime you return a felony indictment in the judicial profession you have a very serious set of circumstances,” Tyson said.

Tyson also said he does not think Thomas poses a flight risk, but his office did set three conditions upon his release. He is to have no contact with any males under the age of 21, he is to have no contact with any of the complaining victims or family members of the complaining witness and he must surrender his passport. When asked whether Thomas’ work with the Mobile County School System, specifically the Phoenix Program which deals with at-risk youth, is something that concerns his office as the investigation moves forward, Tyson pointed out the stipulation that Thomas not have contact with young men under 21. Most of his alleged victims were young inmates in their late teens or early 20s at the time they claim Thomas abused them.

Tyson said his office has been in contact with the Alabama State Bar and gave them a copy of the indictments. The bar has been in contact with Thomas in the past month. Thomas is still practicing as an attorney with the Brandyburg firm.

If Thomas is eventually convicted, Tyson said it will create a situation in which the cases he presided over will have to be examined to determine what, if any, problems there may have been related to his behavior.

“We’re going to have to take that on a case-by-case basis. I suspect we’ll get what we have been getting in that regard. I think there have been a number of inquiries, but we’ll have to do it on a case-by-case basis,” Tyson said.

Tyson also said he has been in touch with the state Supreme Court in order to begin the process of getting a judge to hear Thomas’ trial, as he expects all of the Mobile County Circuit Court judges to recuse themselves from the case.

“I don’t know if that has formally happened, but I expect it to,” he said.

He said he asked Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb to appoint a judge for the case.

“Once we’ve done that I suspect we’ll have an arraignment and set a calendar,” Tyson said.

He does expect the trial to take place in Mobile County.

Tyson has faced some criticism in recent months for the length of time Thomas has gone without being indicted. The first allegations of his paddling of prisoners and changing of court dockets started coming to light almost three years ago and he resigned from the bench just over two years ago. A series of articles in this publication brought to light complaints that Tyson’s office had stopped investigating Thomas, and also highlighted the efforts of attorney Joe Kulakowski who has independently investigated Thomas over the past two years. Tyson said this investigation has been going on for a long time, but did say the special grand jury was empanelled just a few weeks ago during the trial of Lam Luong, the man who was recently convicted of throwing his four children off the Dauphin Island Bridge.

“We used the cover of the Lam Luong trial to ask for the jurors for this special grand jury,” Tyson said. He added that they have not released the grand jury and that it will continue to investigate the case.

Clark summarized the entire list of indictments with one word – “bullshit.”

“This ain’t even close enough for government work. It ain’t close enough for hand grenades,” he said.

He went on to say the indictments came strictly from racism from other judges and members of the local legal community. He specifically named Circuit Judge Rusty Johnston and Kulakowski .

“I would start with the sixth floor then wander up to the seventh floor in this building, that’s where it’s coming from,” Clark said from the atrium of Government Plaza after Tyson’s press conference. “You don’t read the newspaper? They talked about Herman being suspended from Judge Johnston’s courtroom, Joe Koolaid hanging out in Judge Johnston’s courtroom all the time. That’s where it’s coming from, people who’ve got 20 and 30 years for Herman. If you went over to that jail and said say something bad about that judge that sentenced you we’ll let you go, they’d talk.”

Clark also disparaged the fact that the alleged victims are all people who have criminal histories.

“What’s unusual is to take the word of convicted felons and mash it into a 58-count (the grand jury handed out a 57- count indictment) indictment,” Clark said.

Asked why Thomas resigned his position on the bench if all the charges against him were false, Clark said he would have had different advice for the ex-judge.

“I didn’t represent the judge. It’s all made up. I didn’t represent the judge back then. I would not have handled it the way it was handled,” Clark said.

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