HB312 Alabama 2016 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Matt Fridy
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2016
Title: Shelby Co., Judicial Commission appointments, appointee to serve for full-term beginning at end of appointment, const. amend.
Summary: A constitutional amendment for Shelby County would make the term of an appointed 18th Circuit judge follow the general vacancy rules used elsewhere in Alabama.
What This Bill Does
If approved, vacancies in the 18th Judicial Circuit would still be filled by the Governor from nominations by the Shelby County Judicial Commission, but the appointed judge’s term would be governed by the general vacancy provisions (Section 153) rather than the existing Shelby County-specific six-month rule. The nomination and appointment process, including a 90-day deadline and a Chief Justice fallback if the Governor does not act, would remain in place. The change standardizes the term length of appointed judges with the rest of the state.

Who It Affects
Judges appointed to vacancies in the 18th Judicial Circuit (Shelby County) — their term length would be determined by the general vacancy rules, not the current local six-month rule.
Residents of Shelby County and users of the 18th Judicial Circuit courts — they would experience standardized judge terms aligned with statewide vacancy rules and the associated timing of appointments.

Key Provisions
Revise Amendment 804 to specify that all vacancies in the circuit and district courts of the 18th Judicial Circuit shall be filled with terms that follow the general vacancy provisions of Section 153 of the Alabama Constitution.
Preserve the Shelby County Judicial Commission's structure and nomination process (five-member commission with two Alabama State Bar members, two non-bar members, and the presiding judge), require the Governor to appoint from three nominees within 90 days, and allow the Chief Justice to fill if the Governor fails to act.

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