Alabama judicial elections, 2012
The Alabama judicial elections consisted of a primary on March 13th and the general election on November 6th. The primary runoff was held on April 24.[1][2]
Alabama judicial elections summary, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Supreme Court
| Candidate | Incumbency | Party | Place | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Graddick | No | Republican | Chief Justice | 25.5% | |
| Charles Malone (Alabama) | Yes | Republican | 24.5% | ||
| Debra H. Jones | No | Republican | Place 1 | 34.8% | |
| Ginger Poynter | No | Independent | n/a |  | |
Glenn Murdock  | Yes | Republican | Place 3 | 98.16% | |
| Harry Lyon | No | Democratic | Chief Justice | | |
| James Allen Main | Yes | Republican | Place 4 | 98.13% | |
| Lyn Stuart | Yes | Republican | Place 2 | 98.13% | |
| Melinda Lee Maddox | No | Independent | Chief Justice | n/a | |
| Robert S. Vance | No | Democratic | Chief Justice | 48.23% | |
| Roy Moore | No | Republican | 49.9% | 51.76% | |
| Tommy Bryan | No | Republican | 65.1% | 98.07% |
Court of Civil Appeals
| Candidate | Incumbency | Party | Place | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Sorrell Pittman | Yes | Republican | Place 1 | 98.18% | |
| Terri Willingham Thomas | Yes | Republican | Place 2 | 98.19% | |
| Terry A. Moore | Yes | Republican | Place 3 | 98.25% |
Court of Criminal Appeals
| Candidate | Incumbency | Party | Place | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Michael Joiner | Yes | Republican | Place 3 | 98.24% | |
| Liles Burke | Yes | Republican | Place 2 | 98.23% | |
| Samuel Henry Welch | Yes | Republican | Place 1 | 98.22% |
Circuit Courts
For this year's Circuit Court elections, visit: Alabama judicial elections, 2012 - Circuit Courts.
District Courts
For this year's District Court elections, see: Alabama judicial elections, 2012 - District Courts.
Ballot measures
Certified
The Alabama Etowah County Court Costs Amendment (2012) was a Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment proposed by Alabama State Senator Phil Williams which appeared on the November 6, 2012 ballot only in Etowah County, AL. The measure was approved.[4]
The question on the ballot was:
| “ | Relating to Etowah County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize the Legislature, by local or general act, to fix, regulate, and alter the costs and charges of court and to ratify and confirm any local law authorizing any additional court costs enacted prior to the adoption of this amendment.[5] | ” |
The Alabama Marengo County Judge of Probate Amendment (2012) was a Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment proposed by Alabama State Senator Bobby Singleton which appeared on the November 6, 2012 ballot only in Marengo County, AL. The measure was approved.[6]
The question on the ballot was:
| “ | Relating to Marengo County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that the judge of probate shall be compensated based on the population of the county as provided by general law instead of at 90 percent of the rate paid a district judge in the county.[5] | ” |
The Alabama Marion County Court Costs Amendment (2012) was a Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment proposed by Alabama State Senator Roger Bedford which appeared on the November 6, 2012 ballot only in Marion County, AL. The measure was approved.[7]
The question on the ballot was:
| “ | To propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize the Legislature, by local or general act, to fix, regulate, and alter the costs and charges of court in Marion County.[5] | ” |
The Alabama Winston County Judge of Probate Amendment (2012) was a Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment proposed by Alabama State Representative Richard Baughn which appeared on the November 6, 2012 ballot only in Winston County, AL. The measure was approved.[8]
The question on the ballot was:
| “ | Relating to Winston County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide for the judge of probate to be compensated on a salary basis and to provide for the onestop issuance of motor vehicle license plates by the judge of probate.[5] | ” |
In the News
Alabama election recap
Written on November 16, 2012.
Though over 200 candidates competed in judicial races in Alabama last week, for many the fate of the state judiciary came down to just two - those competing for the position of Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. From a historic perspective, it is unsurprising that Republican candidate Roy Moore was elected. What is surprising is the narrow margin with which he won. Though all counties have not reported results, the Alabama Secretary of State shows Moore won with 51.85 percent of the vote.[9]
Of course, there were four other races for the Supreme Court; in all Republicans were elected after running unopposed. Same for the Court of Civil Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals, where a total six incumbent Republicans were re-elected in uncontested races.
The majority of races in Alabama this fall occurred in the trial courts, the Circuit Courts and District Courts. A total of 183 candidates competed in 113 races. All told, 78 percent of those races were unopposed. More specifically, 72 percent of Circuit Court races were uncontested, while 85 percent of District Court candidates were unopposed.
As for incumbents up for re-election, only 11 percent were voted out of office. Also, 30 new judges were elected to the trial courts last week, which is only 16 percent of total candidates.
Democratic challengers take the lead in Jefferson County
As featured in JP Election Brief: Highlights of the 2012 judicial elections on November 15, 2012
With close to 200 candidates participating in the general election, the state of Alabama saw many races across five levels of the courts. The Circuit Court races in one county stick out as being unique, however. That is Jefferson County, home to the city of Birmingham.
In 12 races for the Circuit 10 Court, incumbents were contested in four. In those four races, judges were defeated in three. The only incumbent with an opponent to win re-election on the Circuit 10 Court was Virginia A. Vinson in Place 27.
This most likely has to do with the party affiliation of the judges. In Alabama, judges participate in partisan elections. The three incumbents who were defeated were Republicans. In fact, out of the 8 incumbents seeking re-election to the court, half were Republicans and half Democrats. One Republican, Judge Teresa T. Pulliam, did not draw any opposition. She was the only Republican to win election to the court that night. The other 11 candidates elected were Democrats.[10]
Alabama Supreme Court race
As featured in JP Election Brief: The Supreme Court Special on October 18, 2012.
The “Ten Commandments” judge is hoping to return to the Alabama Supreme Court. Roy Moore was removed from office in 2003 for refusing to follow a federal court order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse lawn. This year, he faces Judge Robert S. Vance in one of the nation’s costliest judicial campaigns.
Money, platforms and support in the Alabama Chief Justice race
As featured in JP Election Brief: Alabama dollars to Washington lawsuits (and more!) on October 4, 2012.
Campaign finance reports submitted at the end of September paint a grim picture for Roy Moore when it comes to the Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice race. At the end of last month, Moore had $192,895 left in his campaign chest. Meanwhile, Bob Vance entered the race strong after joining in August. At the end of September, he had $433,911. Of course, these numbers reflect only funds amassed by the campaigns, without taking into account special interest groups or political action committees' contributions.[11][12] Still, a strong entry by Vance may symbolize a willingness to defeat Moore by outside support.
Someone vocally supporting Judge Vance is former Supreme Court Justice Gorman Houston. Houston was an associate justice on the high court when Moore was Chief Justice, and formerly supported and donated to Moore's campaigns. This week Houston publicly shared his perspective of the Ten Commandments monument situation which lead to Moore's removal from the court by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary. He also accused Moore of being poor at building consensus and worsening relationships between the judiciary and other branches of government.[13]
In addition to campaigning these days, Moore is giving presentations to church groups with his Foundation for Moral Law nonprofit group. During a speech this Sunday, he steered clear of discussing the campaign. Instead he focused on the importance of the acknowledgement of God in the courthouse and explained his perspective of the situation leading to his 2003 removal.[14]
With only one month to go before the general election, one can imagine that advertising and campaigning will increase by these candidates in this close race.
Judicial campaigns target TV, spending 4.6 million and counting
As featured in JP Election Brief: Money and controversies on September 27, 2012.
Candidate spending is on the rise in Alabama, Illinois, Texas, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and Oregon. According to data compiled by Justice at Stake and the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, candidates from the seven states spent a combined total of $4,673,370 on primary television ads.[15] That figure is more than quadruple the estimated amount spent on television ads during the 2010 primaries. This year's primary spending also surpassed 2004's record of $3.8 million, which included nine states.[16][17]
The two organizations who compiled the data are trying to show the effects of special interest groups on judicial elections.
| “ | Money and special interests continue to transform judicial elections around the country.[16] - Alicia Bannon[18][5] | ” |
The candidates
The following is a selection of the highest-spending candidates.[19]
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The Brennan Center for Justice is a "'nonpartisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice'".[17] Justice at Stake is a nonpartisan nonprofit "working to keep America's courts fair and impartial."[17]
Alabama Democrats switch candidate for Chief Justice race
As featured in JP Election Brief: High court races setting the tone on August 23, 2012.
As mentioned in last week's Election Brief, on Friday the Alabama Democratic Party held a hearing to determine whether Harry Lyon was fit to stand as the party's candidate for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He was to have competed against former Chief Justice Roy Moore in the general election. During the hearing, the committee provided evidence in the form of Lyon's private Facebook postings during the campaign. After being disqualified, he again took to the platform to express his opinion on the matter. Below is an excerpt from his page. The capital letters are carried over from the original posting.
| “ | I WISH THAT CHAIRMAN KENNEDY RENOUNCE HIS POSITION OF AGREEING WITH SAME SEX MARRIAGE AND BELIEF THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS HEALTHY AS, IN MY OPINION, HIS DIRECTOR BRADLEY DAVIDSON, POLITICAL FRIEND DOUG JONES AND OTHER FREAKS OF NATURE EMBRACE. AMEN.[21][5] | ” |
The Chairman of the Republican Party responded by noting that the removal of Lyon from the ballot showed "that Democrats are truly liberal and out of touch with Alabama values."[21]
Stepping in to take on the role as the Democratic candidate is Judge Robert S. Vance, who has served on the Circuit 10 Court since 2002. He was re-elected to the circuit court in 2010, when he ran without opposition.[22] Vance mentioned that he did not enter the race before the March primary because he supported the work of current Chief Justice Charles Malone.[23] Many were surprised when Malone was not chosen by voters in the state as the Republican candidate for the seat.
The weird and wacky Alabama Chief Justice race
As featured in JP Election Brief: August primaries settling judicial races on August 16, 2012.
Tomorrow the Alabama Democratic Party will consider whether to disqualify Harry Lyon, their candidate for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Lyon was the only Democrat to file for the race, and thus won nomination unopposed in the March primary election. Since then, Democrats have questioned his behavior and public statements, which some believe violate the canon of judicial ethics. Critics point to comments made about gays and lesbians, taunting of his opponent, Roy Moore, and negative references to the Alabama Supreme Court as a whole.[24]
For his part, Lyon believes that the Democrats have planned to remove him from the ballot. He said, "They are looking for anything they can to get rid of me now that Moore has won the primary."[25] If Lyon is disqualified this week, the Democratic Party will be allowed to name a replacement candidate for the general election in November.[26]
In addition to Lyon's hearing, he also received bad news recently regarding endorsements. The predictably left-leaning AFL-CIO labor union endorsed his opponent, Roy Moore. At the time of the endorsement, the union said that Moore had historically run his courts fairly without corporate influence.[27] At least, that was August 6th. Yesterday, the union rescinded the endorsement, saying that if the Democrats remove Lyon from the ballot, they are likely to support the party's replacement candidate.[28]
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice race
As featured in JP Election Brief: The Rainbow Connection on March 22, 2012.
Since March 13, when Roy Moore became the Republican nominee for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, some within his own party are publicly questioning the November match-up chosen by voters. Right now Moore is set to compete against Harry Lyon, a Democrat who is best known for his ten previous campaigns for various offices throughout the state. Or, more likely, this comment made in 2006 about illegal immigration, "It would only take 5 or 10 [illegal immigrants] getting killed and broadcast on CNN for it to send a clear message to not set foot in Alabama."[29] Lyon does contend that he was joking about that, however.
The political establishment in the state seems concerned about the image Alabama is projecting to the rest of nation. According to The Birmingham News, a group of people are said to be considering options for a strong, experienced candidate to run as an independent for Chief Justice in 2012.[30]
In newspapers across the state, Moore is seen as the projected winner. In a state with a largely conservative population, Republicans have an advantage in statewide races. In fact, Harry Lyon is the only Democratic candidate who filed for any of the eleven appellate races in the state this year.
Roy Moore finds the talk of an independent candidate entering the race unsurprising. He said, "Of course I understand why some special interests want to find an independent. It's because they know they don't control me."[31] He went on to define the group seeking an independent candidate as the "big business wing of the Republican Party..."[31]
Alabama Supreme Court Primary Results
As featured in JP Election Brief: Heading south with news from Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas on March 15, 2012.
In a surprising victory, Roy Moore won his party's nomination for Chief Justice of the court of last resort. Moore previously held the post from 2000 to 2003. In 2003, he was removed from the position by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary for refusing a federal court order to remove a monument on the Ten Commandments from the state courthouse. Since then, Moore has run for governor twice (in 2006 and 2010), and also declared his candidacy for President of the United States for 2012. After a tepid reception, he quickly dropped that bid. Moore will now compete against Harry Lyon in the general election on November 6, 2012.
In the race for Associate Justice, Court of Civil Appeals Judge Tommy Bryan has defeated Judge Debra H. Jones in the Republican primary. Since no Democratic candidate has filed, he has almost certainly won a seat on the court in the general election.[32]
Republican primary for Supreme Courtmarked by reduced campaign spending
From Republican primary for AL Supreme Court Chief post marked by reduced campaign spending on February 27, 2012.
The Republican primary for the Alabama Supreme Court Chief Judge position is showing a marked decrease in early campaign spending, marking a strong difference from previous years including the last race in 2006 which holds the record for "most expensive judicial campaign in U.S. history." This year's Republican primary race between incumbent Charles Malone, former Attorney General Charles Graddick and former chief Roy Moore has garnered only $1,140,000 in contributions, a far cry from the last campaign in 2006 where a single candidate spent over $2 million on his own. Former Justice Roy Moore has cited the poor economy as a cause of the low spending, stating, “Part of it is same reason we’re having problems with the court system. There’s not as much money flowing out there and people are more conservative with their money. I think people are holding it.” Candidate Charles Graddick pointed to campaign finance reforms that required frequent reporting and blocked contributions to multiple PACs. Graddick told the press, "I’ve heard people say that that has kept some people from getting involved because they don’t want their name out there." Graddick had raised the most funds at $540,333 in contributions.[33]
See also
- Alabama judicial elections
- JP Election Brief: The Rainbow Connection, March 22, 2012
- News: Republican primary for AL Supreme Court Chief post marked by reduced campaign spending, February 27, 2012
- News: Alabama Supreme Court contenders file financial disclosure forms, January 13, 2012
- News: Supreme Weekly: Election fever - Races in Alabama, Oregon and Georgia, November 3, 2011
- News: Court of Civil Appeals judge to run for Supreme Court, September 21, 2011
- News: Moore's latest campaign disclosure reveals heavy donations from plaintiff trial lawyers, July 12, 2012
External links
- Alabama Secretary of State, Offices up for Election 2012
- AL.com, "Justice Department approves Alabama March primary for March 2012," September 9, 2011
- Madison County Record, "Comer to run for Madison County circuit judge," July 6, 2011
- Jody W. Bishop seeks Baldwin County Place 2 Circuit Court seat 7/10/11
- Scott Taylor running for Baldwin County District Court judge 7/10/11
- The Press-Register, "Joe Norton seeks Baldwin County Place 1 Circuit judgeship," July 10, 2011
- The Huntsville Times, "Huntsville attorney Chris Messervy seeks District Court judge's seat," July 11, 2011
- Andalusia Star News, "We'll see more red in next election," July 13, 2011
- Press Register, "D'Olive to run for Baldwin County probate judge," July 17, 2011
- Press Register, "Ben Brooks readies for judicial run in Mobile; Scott Beason gives his $.02 on Rusty Glover," July 18, 2011
- Daily News Times, "Graddick says he's running for Ala. chief justice 7/29
- Tuscaloosa News, "Sexton takes step toward running for probate judge," August 6, 2011
- Judge appointed to Court of Criminal Appeals in February to seek full term in 2012 8/11/11
- The Atmore Advance, "Doug Agerton tosses hat into probate judge race," October 24, 2011
- Montgomery Advertiser, "Reed plans to run for Montgomery County probate judge," October 27, 2011
- Andalusia Star News, "Enzor announces bid for probate judge seat," November 3, 2011
- Cullman Times, "Attorney Steve Smith seeking place 2 seat," November 17, 2011
- Times-Journal, "Rains seeks re-election as DeKalb circuit judge," January 6, 2012
- The Republic, "Race to replace Alabama Supreme Court Justice Woodall now contested by 2 Republicans," January 10, 2012
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Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
- ↑ Politics1, Online Guide to Alabama Politics
- ↑ BaldwinGOP.com, "Primary Date Set for March 13, 2012"
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, 2012 Primary Election Results - Unofficial
- ↑ Alabama Act 2012-485
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alabama Act 2012-487
- ↑ Alabama Act 2011-301
- ↑ Alabama Act 2012-481
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, Unofficial General Election Results
- ↑ Jefferson County, Alabama#Elections
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, FCPA Filing Details: Robert S. Vance Jr (CJSC)
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, FCPA Filing Details: Roy Stewart Moore (CJSC)
- ↑ AL.com, "Retired GOP judge backing Democrat Robert Vance," September 29, 2012
- ↑ Anniston Star, "Moore stressed recognition of God, says he'll defend judicial funding," September 30, 2012
- ↑ This total does not include spending for the general election or other campaign spending.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Legal Newsline, "Report: Judicial candidates spent more than $4.6M in primary TV ads," September 14, 2012
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 The West Virginia Record, "Report: W.Va. judicial candidates spent nearly $600,000 in primary TV ads," September 18, 2012
- ↑ A counsel in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program
- ↑ The list is not exhaustive, it only includes the highest-spending candidates.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 Justice at Stake, "Campaign Money Patterns Entering New Phase in 2012 Judicial Races," September 13, 2012
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 WWNT Radio.com, "Lyon Responds to his Removal from Ballot," August 21, 2012
- ↑ Robert S. Vance
- ↑ Gadsen Times, "Democratic judge enters Ala. chief justice race," August 20, 2012
- ↑ Montgomery Advertiser, "Democrats could oust chief justice candidate," August 13, 2012
- ↑ Associated Press, "Alabama Democrats set hearing to disqualify Lyon as chief justice candidate," August 13, 2012
- ↑ DailyComet.com, "Ala. chief justice candidate seeks to keep spot," August 8, 2012
- ↑ Al.com, "Democrat-leaning AFL-CIO endorses GOP's Roy Moore for chief justice," August 6, 2012
- ↑ WWNT.com, "Union rescinds Moore endorsement," August 15, 2012
- ↑ AL.com, "Most controversial candidate in Alabama chief justice race? It may not be Roy Moore," March 16, 2012
- ↑ The Birmingham News, "Alabama political insiders consider an 'anybody but Roy Moore or Harry Lyon' candidate," March 19, 2012
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 The Birmingham News, "Roy Moore not concerned about independent candidate in Alabama chief justice race," March 21, 2012
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, 2012 Primary Election Results - Unofficial
- ↑ AL.com, "Alabama Supreme Court candidates find campaign contributions harder to come by" 2/26/2012
