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TAMPA — After a judge refused to recuse himself from the case, Williams Thornton IV's attorney promised to go to the next level.
On Wednesday, Tampa lawyer Stephen Romine asked an appeals court to prohibit Citrus County Circuit Judge Ric Howard from participating in Thornton's case, saying that Thornton feared the judge could not be impartial.
In August 2005, Thornton pleaded no contest in a car crash that killed a young couple. Thornton, who was 17 at the time of the crash, had no plea agreement in place, and the judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
The sentence prompted outrage by community members, including some who raised questions about whether race played a role. Thornton is black. The two people killed were white.
Romine, who recently took Thornton's case, wrote to the 5th District Court of Appeal that the judge should be taken off the case for a variety of reasons, including inappropriate comments about Thornton's father.
The judge had previously sentenced the father to prison and brought that up when he sentenced Thornton.
[Last modified: Jun 27, 2008 06:47 PM]
Comments on this article
by W. Keane
Jun 27, 2008 6:47 PM
I'm wondering when the Black community is going to find some other excuse to justify everything they do and want other than their perennial and trite "racism" excuse.
by ray
Jun 27, 2008 9:37 AM
Sic Ric Howard is a disgrace. Let's hope the voters give him the boot in the election.
by irene
Jun 26, 2008 5:08 PM
judges need to be held accoutable for inappropriate comments. often judges are arrogant and out of touch even corrupt
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