Judge candidate questioned about family's ties to KKK

MONTGOMERY (AP) — A Republican candidate for a state appeals court seat is fending off questions about her family's ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Terri Willingham Thomas, a district court judge from Cullman and the GOP nominee for Place 3 on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, said voters should consider her record of racial equality, not the associations of her family. The Montgomery Advertiser reported Monday that a former Klan leader and government records indicate that Thomas' parents, Joe and Violet Willingham, participated in the KKK in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her mother was arrested in August 1979 for transporting guns with an expired permit at a Klan march in Montgomery, according to an arrest report. Joe Willingham received an award in 1993 from the far-right Council of Conservative Citizens. Liberal groups typically classify it a hate organization. Thomas' brother, Cullman lawyer Dan Willingham, represented two Klan members in a 1980 civil lawsuit filed against the group. Thomas said she was unaware of any association between her parents and the Klan. "I treat everyone fairly and with respect," she said. "I'm not my brothers, I'm not my sisters, and I'm not my parents and I'm not my cousins. I'm not my grandparents. I am me, and I am fair. I am not prejudiced at all." Thomas' parents did not return calls. Dan Willingham, who gave $100 to his sister's campaign, declined comment on whether he was linked to the Klan. "Why would it be relevant to Terri what any of her family would or would not have done?" he said. Birmingham attorney Jim McFerrin, Thomas' Democratic opponent in the November election, described Thomas' family history as "a huge issue" that should be investigated. "People want to know how far the apple falls from the tree, and I think that's fair enough," he said. "The public has a right to know about backgrounds of candidates, even if you're running for dog catcher, but especially if you're running for judge." Terry Tucker, a former Klan leader, said Thomas' mother and father were active in the Cullman County chapter of the Klan in the early 1980s, when he directed the group. State Sen. Zeb Little, D-Cullman, went to Cumberland School of Law with Thomas and tries cases before her. "I have found Judge Thomas to be very fair and impartial on the bench," Little said. Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscribe for only 33¢ a day!