Local legal assistant indicted in Clarke County
Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 31, 2007
DEMOPOLIS &045; Local, Thedford A. Rowser-Bey was indicted in Clarke County for practicing law without a license in connection with her work on a property dispute case in Coffeeville.
The case Rowser-Bey is accused of acting as an attorney for involves two residents in Coffeeville who have received eviction notices from the two acres on which their mobile home is situated. David Wood claims two women, Rosie Thorton, 82, and her mother, Edna Woodard, 102, are living on land he owns and has asked for their removal.
Rowser-Bey said she has been providing legal research to the two women in relation to their case, which said is being handled by Selma attorney Collins Pettway. Rowser-Bey said she has been providing her research and advisory services both through her newly appointed role as chairwoman of the Black Land Loss and Real Estate Committee of the NAACP and as a person licensed to provide financial and legal services.
Rowser-Bey said her research for the case has provided information showing Wood has no legal claim to the property that the ladies she is assisting live on. She said while she researched documents that prove this, which would send the case that has been decided in favor of Wood several times back to trial, she has not filed anything in court for the case or any other case.
Rowser-Bey has a business license issued by the city of Demopolis, which states she is licensed for issuance fees, finance companies and financial and legal services, which doesn’t expire until Dec. 31. The role she was appointed to on March 15 by NAACP’s Alabama President Edward Vaughn gives Rowser-Bey the responsibility to look into the improper displacement of poor black individuals on behalf of the organization.
Rowser-Bey said her position within the organization provides she produce documents that could help those she serves with their legal struggles. She said she doesn’t, in any way act as an attorney for those she helps, and after she provides helpful document she moves to the next group of individuals.