Thomas was raised by his mother, who raised ten children on her own after his father's death in a car accident. Thomas grew up with his family on welfare and living in housing projects in the small town of Republic, in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The housing project was located in a neighborhood marred by crime and violence. Thomas' mother emphasized sacrifice and education and helped instill in Thomas a strong desire to earn an education and realize his goals in life. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1991 and a Juris Doctor from Temple University in 1994. He became an assistant state public defender in Miami-Dade County in 1994 and was selected to become an assistant federal public defender in the Southern District of Florida in 1997 where he represented defendants in all types of complex cases in federal court.
Judicial Service
In 2005, Thomas was elected to be a judge on the Miami-Dade Circuit Court, where he has presided over both civil cases and criminal cases. In the 2011 Judicial Elections, despite other incumbent judges drawing opposition, Judge Thomas was re-elected without opposition.
Failed district court nomination
On November 14, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Thomas to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to replace U.S. District JudgeAdalberto Jordan whose nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit was approved in February 2012. Thomas is openly gay. If confirmed, Thomas will be the first out gay African American man to serve as a federal judge. On January 2, 2013, his nomination was returned to the President, due to the sine die adjournment of the Senate. On January 3, 2013, he was renominated to the same office. His nomination is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On September 19, 2013, Senator Marco Rubio announced that he would not return his blue slip for Thomas, effectively preventing the possibility of a hearing or confirmation vote, even though Rubio had suggested Thomas for the post in the first place. Thomas' nomination was returned to the President due to the sine die adjournment of Congress on January 3, 2014. President Obama has decided not to submit Thomas' nomination a third time.
