SB230 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Courts, judges, Judicial Resources Allocation Commission, established, membership, duties, authority to increase or decrease judgeships under certain criteria

Summary

SB230 creates a permanent Judicial Resources Allocation Commission to study Alabama's judge needs and move district and circuit judges between districts based on caseload, population, and duties.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates the Judicial Resources Allocation Commission with specified members and a diversity requirement, and it must annually review and rank the need for more or fewer judges in each district and circuit using defined criteria. Based on those rankings, the Commission can reallocate judgeships, especially when vacancies occur or a judge is ineligible to run again, with safeguards that no county loses its lone district judge and that the changes are reported to the Governor and Legislature. It also updates how caseload is measured, delays reallocations for three years after the update, and spells out how compensation and funding follow the new allocations.

Who It Affects

• District and circuit judges and the districts/circuits they serve, since the number and placement of judgeships could change and vacancies may be reallocated under the commission's rules.
• Governor, Alabama Legislature, and the Alabama Supreme Court (and related state oversight bodies) who will receive the commission's rankings, decide on reallocations and funding, and oversee caseload measurement changes.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Judicial Resources Allocation Commission as a permanent body with chair, governor's legal advisor, trial judges, and attorneys; requires diversity in appointments.
• Defines criteria for needing more or fewer judges: Judicial Weighted Caseload, district/circuit population, judicial duties, and other relevant information.
• Requires the Commission to annually rank needs and provide a list to the Governor and Legislature within 30 days.
• Allows reallocating a judgeship only on vacancies or qualifying age-based disqualification, with a 30-day decision window and protections to avoid reducing counties below minimum representation.
• If reallocated, the vacancy is filled in the new district/circuit and the old district/circuit adjusts accordingly; the appointee serves the standard term before election.
• Renumbers remaining judgeships after reallocation and maintains funding for the reallocated seat.
• Reallocated judges have full authority and duties of judges in the new district/circuit.
• Compensation for reallocated judges follows existing pay rules in Title 12, Chapter 10A.
• The Supreme Court must revise the caseload factors to include criminal counts, and no reallocations may occur for three years after the revision.
• Laws conflicting with this act are repealed.
• The act becomes effective immediately upon passage and approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Courts