David Bowers, Sheriff's Deputy, Zaps Three Children with Stun Gun at Illinois Youth Shelter, Threatens to Sodomize One Child: Lawsuit

According to a federal civil-rights lawsuit, sheriff's deputy David Bowers allegedly zapped three children with a stun gun at an Illinois emergency youth shelter, while threatening to sodomize one of them before choking a fourth child and throwing her in the closet. Bowers and sheriff's deputy Lonnie Lawler claimed they were unprovoked in the incident at the adolescent center in southern Illinois that houses youths ages 11 to 18, many with behavioral problems.

The suit was filed on July 1st and called the deputies' actions "extreme, outrageous and unjustified," and it does not release the names or ages of the three boys shot with the stun gun. The fourth kid was a foster child who did not live at the center, according to the lawsuit.

The suit claimed that Bowers and sheriff's deputy Lonnie Lawler went to the center near Marion on July 4, 2008 in response to a report that three teenagers were acting unruly. But the young people suing the deputies were not those disruptive children, the lawsuit said.

Bowers allegedly pushed one boy toward his bed, and repeatedly shocked him with a stun gun. Bowers then held down a second boy, stunned him several times and threatened to sodomize him, ultimately causing the child to soil himself, the lawsuit claimed. A third child complied with the deputies' demands that he sit on a couch, but Lawler handcuffed him before Bowers zapped him repeatedly, the lawsuit said.

The fourth child, a girl, pleaded with the deputies to stop but Lawler handcuffed her. Bowers lifted her off the ground, pressed her against a wall and choked her, the lawsuit alleges. Source: Huffington Post

Many people may readily assume these children made this up because they may have behavioral issues, but why are these cops still on the job? Shouldn't they have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation or placed on modified desk duty until this lawsuit has been resolved?

Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas Indicted on Inmate Sex Charges, Lawyer Pulls Race Card, Cites "High-Tech Lynching"

The long arm of the law has caught up with another unscrupulous judge. Well, this one is of a different ilk. Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas was arrested Friday after a grand jury returned the indictments against him. He was released on $287,500 bond later the same day. According to media reports Judge Thomas was slapped with indictments totalling 57 counts and charges ranging from ethics violations to kidnapping, extortion, sex abuse and sodomy. If convicted of kidnapping, which is the most serious charge, he faces a prison sentence of 10 to 99 years in prison, Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr.

Wait, it gets better. His attorney, Robert Clark, used a phrase uttered by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas about the scandal involving Anita Hill -- the accusations against the former judge amount to "a high-tech lynching." He then pulled the race card -- "Did you ever think of the fact that this is the only black circuit judge we've ever had in Mobile County and that the right-wing Republicans have gotten rid of him?" "This is racism at its very finest." Let me get this straight. The former judge has been accused of some serious charges and the best his attorney could do was get in the mud and scream racism? Did anyone force this judge to allegedly do these things? The Alabama State Bar said its disciplinary commission suspended Thomas' law license Monday.

"The South hasn't changed all that much," Clark, described by the Mobile Press-Register as "a longtime and flamboyant fixture of the Mobile defense bar," told CNN on Monday. He said Thomas denies all the charges, and he questioned the credibility of the alleged victims. "Everybody that's listed in the indictment is either serving life for murder or some other horrible crime." Some have already recanted, Clark said, adding, "None of this is new stuff." He pledged he would "fight till the last dog falls."

The indictment returned Friday, offers few details of the alleged offenses but makes several references to Thomas forcing people to expose their buttocks "to paddling and/or whipping." The posted indictment had names of the alleged victims blacked out. But each of the nine alleged victims was in Mobile County Circuit Court on charges ranging from criminal mischief to murder, according to the Press-Register, which cited court records.

One of the inmates, according to the newspaper, went before Thomas on multiple occasions and faced several felony charges. He was sent to prison for a short time, but Thomas ordered him released early, according to the Press-Register. He was sentenced in federal court and later released and has since been accused of murder and attempted murder.

During Thomas' judgeship, he had a storage room furnished like an office near his eighth-floor chamber at Mobile's Government Plaza, the Press-Register said. Several criminal defendants have alleged, in affidavits and in court, that Thomas asked to paddle their buttocks in the room, and some said he suggested sexual encounters there, according to the newspaper. Source: CNN

He resigned from the bench in October 2007 before this drama hit the fan. He left just before being scheduled to stand trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary on ethics violations charges. The complaint was dismissed after Thomas' resignation and accused him of "extrajudiciary personal contact" with some defendants but does not refer to any sexual contact. The man is a pervert. No better than the scumbag running around among us with no good intentions. It is scary that this man could have been sitting on a bench and handing down sentences for any crime, when he has broken the law himself, and on such a grand scale.

NYPD Officer Richard Kern, 25, Indicted by Grand Jury in Sodomy Attack on Michael Mineo During Subway Station Arrest

NYPD officers (l. to r.) Alex Cruz, Andrew Morales and Richard Kern

Another of New York's finest is in a lot of trouble. NYPD cop Richard Kern, 25, was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly sodomizing tattoo artist Michael Mineo with a baton during a subway station arrest. I wrote on this series of events when it first broke. Mineo, 24, accused Kern of sodomizing him in October while two other officers held him down. This occurred after they caught him smoking marijuana outside the Prospect Park subway station.

Kern, a four-year veteran, was implicated earlier this month by a transit officer who told the grand jury that Kern stuck a 2-foot long NYPD baton between Michael Mineo's buttocks after the suspect was wrestled to the platform.

Kern's lawyer, John Patten, said he would not comment because he had no official notification of an indictment against his client. "I don't know anything," he said. "I've heard no official word of anything, so I'm not going to comment."

Charges presented before the grand jury included assault and aggravated sexual assault, but the exact nature of the jury's decision is unknown. The indictment will be unsealed on Tuesday. Source: NY Daily News

According to media reports, the other officers involved, Noel Jugraj and Kevin Maloney, have maintained their innocence. Of course, what else would they have said? I'm guilty of the accusations being leveled against me?

"My client is a decorated officer who had absolutely nothing to do with this case," said Jugraj's lawyer, Edward Mandery. "I don't think he's going to be charged. I trust the District Attorney's office is investigating this properly."

"Based on what I know about what happened, I'm not surprised and I wouldn't be surprised if he (Kern) were the only officer" indicted, said Paul Martin, the lawyer for Maloney, the transit officer who broke the Blue Wall of silence and told grand jurors he saw Kern use the baton on Mineo. Source: NY Daily News

Really? We'll see what happens. It seems that these cops have not learned from the sodomizing of Abner Louima by former cop Justin Volpe and his posse. The city was sued by Louima and he received the largest payout in NYC history for police brutality. There are too many accusations of police brutality against New York City's finest for it all to be lies. These cops were given a blank check by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to do as they please. Well, it is high time they were held accountable for their actions. I know there are decent, hard-working and law abiding police in NYC, but there is a rogue element that must be contained or weeded out. If not, we will continue to hear about such instances of police brutality in New York and in other cities across the United States. Though this man was doing the wrong thing and he has a rap sheet, did he really deserve to be sodomized with a baton? I don't think so.

NYPD Officer Richard Kern, 25, Indicted by Grand Jury in Sodomy Attack on Michael Mineo During Subway Station Arrest

NYPD officers (l. to r.) Alex Cruz, Andrew Morales and Richard Kern

Another of New York's finest is in a lot of trouble. NYPD cop Richard Kern, 25, was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly sodomizing tattoo artist Michael Mineo with a baton during a subway station arrest. I wrote on this series of events when it first broke. Mineo, 24, accused Kern of sodomizing him in October while two other officers held him down. This occurred after they caught him smoking marijuana outside the Prospect Park subway station.

Kern, a four-year veteran, was implicated earlier this month by a transit officer who told the grand jury that Kern stuck a 2-foot long NYPD baton between Michael Mineo's buttocks after the suspect was wrestled to the platform.

Kern's lawyer, John Patten, said he would not comment because he had no official notification of an indictment against his client. "I don't know anything," he said. "I've heard no official word of anything, so I'm not going to comment."

Charges presented before the grand jury included assault and aggravated sexual assault, but the exact nature of the jury's decision is unknown. The indictment will be unsealed on Tuesday. Source: NY Daily News

According to media reports, the other officers involved, Noel Jugraj and Kevin Maloney, have maintained their innocence. Of course, what else would they have said? I'm guilty of the accusations being leveled against me?

"My client is a decorated officer who had absolutely nothing to do with this case," said Jugraj's lawyer, Edward Mandery. "I don't think he's going to be charged. I trust the District Attorney's office is investigating this properly."

"Based on what I know about what happened, I'm not surprised and I wouldn't be surprised if he (Kern) were the only officer" indicted, said Paul Martin, the lawyer for Maloney, the transit officer who broke the Blue Wall of silence and told grand jurors he saw Kern use the baton on Mineo. Source: NY Daily News

Really? We'll see what happens. It seems that these cops have not learned from the sodomizing of Abner Louima by former cop Justin Volpe and his posse. The city was sued by Louima and he received the largest payout in NYC history for police brutality. There are too many accusations of police brutality against New York City's finest for it all to be lies. These cops were given a blank check by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to do as they please. Well, it is high time they were held accountable for their actions. I know there are decent, hard-working and law abiding police in NYC, but there is a rogue element that must be contained or weeded out. If not, we will continue to hear about such instances of police brutality in New York and in other cities across the United States. Though this man was doing the wrong thing and he has a rap sheet, did he really deserve to be sodomized with a baton? I don't think so.