The Political Round-Up
Thomas' trials deepen; Artur in the Azalea City; Challengers to Dean lining up on the horizon; You can call me Al; Rudy, Rudy, Rudy; The dog ate my paycheck?; Those red & rowdy Republican ladies
By Chip Drago
Mobile Bay Times
Suspended Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas has engaged Mobile attorney Billy Kimbrough to join Dave Boyd of Balch & Bingham in Montgomery in the Mobile jurist’s defense to charges brought by the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission.
A veteran Mobile attorney, Kimbrough was U.S. Attorney here during the Carter Administration.
The latest development in the saga surrounding Thomas -- a second barrage of allegations referred to JIC by virtually the entire circuit bench here -- apparently will delay a resolution perhaps until midsummer at the earliest.
Under JIC procedure, Thomas is entitled to demand mediation of the charges against him. Mediation in the original case was expected to occur today in Montgomery with Thomas in attendance.
However, the new complaint complicated and scuttled those plans because the "alternate dispute resolution" rules render statements by the judge "privileged and inadmissible as either substantive evidence or impeachment evidence against the judge."
Until the second matter is investigated, the JIC is reluctant to mediate the more mature charges because any statements Thomas may make could possibly compromise by their inadmissibility the JIC's ability to make a case on the second complaint, a source close to the JIC explained. Furthermore, Thomas himself would seem to be better served were the cases disposed of, if possible, in tandem rather than separately.
As it is, the JIC through its investigative arm in the office of the Attorney General will examine the allegations against Thomas in the letter from his Mobile brethren and determine whether a complaint is warranted. If a formal complaint is lodged, possibly at JIC's next meeting June 15, Thomas has 30 days to answer. He may respond more quickly which conceivably could allow the JIC to consolidate the cases and mediate them at its Friday, July 13 meeting.
If mediation fails, a trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary would be set. The nine-member COJ includes two lay members. Although their terms have expired, Mobile Mayor Sam Jones and Sue H. McInnish of Montgomery remained listed on the COJ roster.
Artur making Mobile friends
Mobile attorney and politico Palmer Hamilton recently had U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, in town for a ‘Dutch treat’ luncheon at The Bakery attended by a group of three dozen or so politically active locals.
"The purpose (of the gathering) was to let him meet some Mobilians," said Hamilton. "He has been here, of course, but he hasn't gotten to spend a lot of time here. And Mobile is going to need his help in the future."
Davis is an Assistant Majority Whip in the House. He is also the only Alabama legislator on the House Ways & Means Committee. Davis is well-positioned as an advocate for the state with industrial recruits, in particular, Hamilton noted.
A Harvard-educated lawyer, Davis has been rumored for higher office, initially the U.S. Senate seat now held by the GOP’s Jeff Sessions and more recently the governorship in 2010 when Republican Gov. Bob Riley will not be eligible for the office. In the unlikely event that U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby retires, Davis likely would consider a run for that office. If the Democrats maintain control of the House, Davis' influence within that body would continue to grow.
Among others at the luncheon were Bestor Ward of Ward Properties and current chairman of the board of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton, Keith King of Volkert Engineering, Bruce Croushore, Marietta Urquhart of Heggeman Realty, CPA Mike Thompson, USA lobbyist Happy Fulford, Wintzell's Buffy and Bob Donlon, Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce president Mark Berson and his two sons, attorney E.B. Peebles and the Mobile area chamber’s Ginny Russell and Bill Sisson.
A businessperson at the lunch said Davis was “certainly an impressive speaker with an impressive presence.” Davis is a bachelor and a former federal prosecutor.
By happenstance, Davis’ colleague, U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, was lunching at the Bakery last Friday as well. Bonner visited briefly, informing the gathering of the stellar working relationship within the Alabama delegation.
Challengers on the horizon
Mobile County Commissioner Mike Dean will likely have to go two or more rounds to win re-election next year. First the south Mobile official can anticipate opposition from within the Republican Party in the June primary and perhaps again in a runoff election to select the GOP nominee for the District 3 seat.
Among the names being dropped as prospective Republican challengers to Dean are Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier, utility company executive Bud Robertson, Bayou La Batre City Councilman Henry Barnes, businessman and former law enforcement officer John Graham, firefighter Terry Lilley and former interim Mobile County Sheriff David Evans.
A Democratic foe is a near certainty in the general election, with former county commissioner and ex-state senator Gary Tanner as a possible standard-bearer. Also, Mobile County Democratic Chairman Brad Warren may make a maiden run for elective office.
Toasting the St. Clair suite
A reception to christen the “Al St. Clair Suite” in the renovated RSA Battle House Hotel will be held Thursday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. St. Clair is executive director at the Alabama Cruise Terminal here and has figured prominently in downtown redevelopment through a variety of city-related posts over the past 15 years.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy
Local GOP leader Jerry Lathan continues to tout Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani against naysayers who label the former mayor of New York as an “out-of-step liberal.”
“ When you look at his record against the liberal establishment in New York City, it gives me great hope for the coming battles with the same type liberal establishment he will confront in D.C. -- and confront them he will,” said Lathan.
Victory is paramount, said Lathan, and Giuliani gives the GOP its strongest play against any of the prospective Democratic nominees.
“… I want to win,” said Lathan. “Winning is everything and he beats (Barack) Obama, Hillary Clinton or John Edwards in every "red" state from 2000 and 2004. We then go after and win at least three of the following, maybe a lot more; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, New Mexico and New Hampshire. This gives him a huge electoral college advantage which is the only ‘poll’ that matters.”
Stealing cars, clearing cases
The Mobile Police Department’s clearance rate on cases of stolen vehicles is more than twice the national average, 28.8 percent to 13 percent. Mobile is slightly better in solving all other areas of crime – murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary and larceny – but nowhere is the disparity as great as in stolen vehicles.
“I noticed that, too,” said Mobile Police Chief Phillip Garrett. “When I took over last summer, the first thing I noticed was that we had a lot of auto thefts. I asked people to step up. We meet every Thursday and that was one of the first topics to come up, auto thefts and what can we do to pay more attention to it. We’re having more than we should. The (clearance) rates are good but we would choose to have fewer cases. When you work a lot of them, there is some merit to that (experience improving the ability to solve the cases). But we do work hard at it. We pay a lot of attention to it to try to keep it down.”
“One thing is we find that a lot of people are reporting a vehicle as stolen and it was not. It was swapped out for drugs. We’re requiring now that a person sign an affidavit that I’m swearing that this vehicle was stolen. Some are saying they won’t do that. That will drive down the numbers. We encourage our guys if they make a false report, we’ll prosecute them. That’s the only way to make a difference. Most of the time these are drug-related issues. Robberies, a lot of the time, it’s a drug transaction and when the person gets home and has to explain to a spouse or the family why he doesn’t have any money, he makes up a robbery.”
Garrett said he hoped to see enacted a city ordinance and/or a state law requiring persons selling vehicles to auto shredders to actually have title to the vehicle. According to Garrett, as things now stand, people can pick up cars off the street, take them to an auto shredder and sell them.
If the car has been reported stolen, “we can’t find it because it’s in the shredder, crushed and gone,” said Garrett.
“There needs to be a change in the law that a person who sells a vehicle (for shredding) needs to be the owner,” he said. “These are usually cars that aren’t worth anything, but the metal may be worth a couple of hundred bucks. That’s not bad if you’ve got nothing in it. At some point we need to look at the law and say if you purchase a vehicle for scrap or dismantling, you have to have title.”
Republicans: Red & Rowdy
Two busloads of the red-clad Alabama Federation of Republican Women traveled to Montgomery for "Red Wave Day" and attended Thursday sessions of each legislative body.
After being welcomed by Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom and various GOP senators, the ladies got rowdy when newly-elected state Sen. Ben Brooks, R-Theodore, asked to be recognized in order to welcome the AFRW. Brooks was one of very few Republicans nationwide to unseat a Democratic incumbent in last fall's elections.
The AFRW delegation was also treated to a breakfast at the Governor's Mansion with their host, First Lady Patsy Riley. Mrs. Mitt Romney was the keynote speaker at the ladies' luncheon and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-CA, a candidate for president, was the keynote speaker at a dinner.
