Thomas Figures
{{Short description|American attorney and judge (1944–2015)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Thomas Figures
| birth_date = {{birth date|1944|8|6}}
| birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, US
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|1|22|1944|8|6}}
| death_place = Mobile, Alabama, US
| education = {{ubl|Alabama State University (B.A.)|Indiana University Bloomington (M.B.A.)|University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (JD)}}
| relatives = Michael Figures (brother)
Shomari Figures (nephew)
}}
Thomas Henry Figures (August 6, 1944{{snd}}January 22, 2015) was an American attorney and judge. He was the first African American assistant district attorney and assistant United States Attorney from Mobile, Alabama. Figures earned convictions on two members of the Ku Klux Klan for the lynching of Michael Donald and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the judicial nomination of Jeff Sessions.
Early life
Figures grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and graduated from Central High School in 1962. He attended Alabama State College and transferred to Alabama State University (ASU) and served as president of the Student Government Association. He graduated second in his class in 1966.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-alabama-state/145092562/|title=Alabama State Graduates To Hear Louisville Publisher|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=May 15, 1966|pages=63|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} Figures enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program at Indiana University Bloomington and earned a Juris Doctor from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Career
After he graduated, Figures worked as legal counsel for Mobil Oil in New York and became an assistant district attorney in Westchester County, New York. He then returned to Mobile and became the first African American assistant district attorney in Mobile County.{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2015/03/life_stories_a_drum_major_for.html|title=Life Stories: A drum major for justice, Thomas Henry Figures fulfilled his dreams of judgeship, fatherhood|first=Taylor Peyton|last=Strunk |work=AL.com|date=March 22, 2015|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}
In 1978, Figures became an assistant United States Attorney.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/623762964/|title=Nov 08, 1987, page 143 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com}} In that role, he prosecuted two members of the Ku Klux Klan for the lynching of Michael Donald. The FBI was about to close the investigation when Figures insisted that they reopen it, finding evidence that led them to the two suspects, who were arrested in 1983 and convicted of murder.{{cite news|last=Kornbluth|first=Jesse|title=The Woman Who Beat The Klan|date=November 1, 1987|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/01/magazine/the-woman-who-beat-the-klan.html|access-date=January 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218075554/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/01/magazine/the-woman-who-beat-the-klan.html|archive-date=February 18, 2015|url-status=live}} Michael Figures, Thomas' brother, and Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center represented Donald's mother, Beulah Mae Donald, in a civil suit for wrongful death against the United Klans of America (UKA). They won a $7 million judgment (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|7000000|1987}}}} in current dollar terms) against the UKA in 1987, bankrupting the organization.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-11187-murder-and-ret/58734459/|title=Murder and retribution in Mobile: A mothers fight against the Klan|first=Jesse|last=Kornbluth|date=November 1, 1987|work=The Anniston Star|pages=D1|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}
Figures resigned in 1985{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-figures-leaves/145204892/|title=Figures Leaves Post|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=July 4, 1985|pages=25|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} in protest of United States Attorney Jeff Sessions' prosecution of community activists in Perry County, including Albert Turner, for voter fraud.{{Cite web|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/18/black-belt-voter-fraud-case-alabama-shaped-sen-jeff-sessions-career/94088186/|title=Black Belt voter fraud case in Alabama shaped Sen. Jeff Sessions' career|first=Mary Troyan and Brian|last=Lyman|website=Montgomery Advertiser}} In 1986, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sessions to the federal judiciary. Figures came forward with allegations of Sessions' behavior, such as referring to Figures as "boy" and the NAACP as "un-American",{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/news/2020/11/a-hurricane-called-joe-bidens-1986-alabama-visit-and-conflict-with-jeff-sessions.html|title='A hurricane called Joe': Biden's 1986 Alabama visit and conflict with Jeff Sessions|first=Jeremy |last=Gray |work=AL.com|date=November 8, 2020|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} which Sessions said were "absolutely untrue". Figures also said that Sessions had said that he believed the Ku Klux Klan "was OK until I found out they smoked pot", which Sessions claimed was a joke. Figures testified about his experience working with Sessions in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which rejected the nomination.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alabama-journal-sessions-disappointed-p/145205487/ | title=Sessions disappointed, pledges justice | newspaper=Alabama Journal | date=June 6, 1986 | page=3 |via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}
In 1992, Figures was indicted on one count of bribery for allegedly offering $50,000 and other assistance to a witness in a drug case not to testify that he was working as a defense attorney.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-former-prosecu/145205880/|title=Former prosecutor accused of bribery|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=November 7, 1992|pages=1|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser/43376307/|title=Article clipped from The Montgomery Advertiser|newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=March 27, 1993|pages=1|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} Figures alleged that he had been indicted as revenge for his testimony against Sessions; Sessions denied the allegation and transferred the prosecution to the U.S. Department of Justice.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/08/us/retaliation-alleged-in-black-lawyer-s-indictment.html|title=Retaliation Alleged in Black Lawyer's Indictment|first=Ronald|last=Smothers|work=The New York Times|date=November 8, 1992|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} Figures pleaded not guilty{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-selma-times-journal-attorney-pleads/145206033/|title=Attorney pleads innocent to bribery|newspaper=The Selma Times-Journal |date=November 19, 1992|pages=3|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} and was acquitted at trial.
Governor Fob James removed two members of the ASU's board of trustees and appointed Figures to one of the positions on September 30, 1998.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260635696/|title=Oct 21, 1998, page 24 - The Montgomery Advertiser |via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260470759/|title=Dec 01, 1998, page 11 - The Montgomery Advertiser |via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} However, the removed members were restored to the board by a court ruling and he was removed in November. He appealed the decision to the Alabama Supreme Court{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-asu-board-of-t/145262344/|title=ASU Board of Trustees replacements file appeal|work=The Montgogmery Advertiser|first=Malcomb|last=Daniels |via=newspapers.com|page=1C|date=December 14, 1998|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} and the ruling against him was affirmed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/261231240/|title=Mar 27, 1999, page 41 - The Montgomery Advertiser |via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} Governor Don Siegelman appointed Figures to the board of trustees in 2002.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/261442001/|title=May 11, 2002, page 11 - The Montgomery Advertiser |via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}} His term ended in 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/113938364/|title=Dec 10, 2014, page A7 |via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 12, 2024}}
In 2007, Sam Jones, the mayor of Mobile, appointed Figures to serve as a municipal judge.
Personal life
Figures and his wife, Janice, married in 1987. She filed for divorce in 1991.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-attorney-loses/145233583/ | title=Attorney loses divorce appeal | newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser | date=March 24, 1993 | page=11 }} Figures died on January 22, 2015, at the age of 70.
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Figures, Thomas}}
Category:Alabama State University alumni
Category:Kelley School of Business alumni
Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Category:University of Illinois College of Law alumni
Category:Activists for African-American civil rights
Category:American civil rights lawyers
Category:Lawyers from Mobile, Alabama
Category:21st-century American judges
Category:20th-century African-American lawyers
Category:21st-century African-American lawyers
Category:Municipal judges in the United States
Category:African-American judges