HB202 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris EnglandRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Judges, appellate, and Supreme Court Justices and Attorney General, nonpartisan election, Appellate Court Nonpartisan Election Act, Secs. 17-6-20, 17-6-24, 17-6-25, 17-6-48, 17-13-8 am'd.

Description

Under existing law, candidates for state attorney general and state appellate judicial offices, including the offices of Chief Justice and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, and Judge of the Court of Civil Appeals, are nominated by political parties and are included on the general election ballots in a column under the party name and emblem. A person elected to state appellate judicial office must, at the end of a six-year term, stand for reelection in a contested election rather than in a retention election in which the only issue is whether that person shall be retained in office.

This bill would provide for the nonpartisan election of candidates for state attorney general and state appellate judicial office. The bill would require a special ballot for state attorney general and state appellate judicial candidates. The bill would provide for a filing fee to be paid by candidates for state attorney general and state appellate judicial office to the Secretary of State, to be split between the political parties.

The bill would provide for filing with the Secretary of State an affidavit of indigency in lieu of payment of the filing fee. The bill also would provide that a person elected to a state appellate judicial office stands for reelection at the end of his or her term in the form of a retention election, rather than a contested election. The bill also would establish a judicial evaluation commission to evaluate performance of a state appellate judicial officer standing for reelection in a retention election.

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Subjects

Judges