SB88 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

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

Summary

SB88 creates a Judicial Resources Allocation Commission to study, rank, and reallocate Alabama district and circuit judgeships based on defined criteria.

What This Bill Does

It establishes the Judicial Resources Allocation Commission (JRAC) with a defined, diverse membership and requires yearly reviews of the need for more or fewer judgeships using caseload, population, judicial duties, and other relevant data. The Commission will rank courts and report its findings to the Governor and Legislature. It may reallocate judgeships—including during vacancies or when an incumbent becomes ineligible to run due to age—subject to geographic and minimum-judge-per-county safeguards; if reallocation occurs, vacancies are filled in the new district/circuit and funding follows, with the reassigned judge serving the remainder of the term and then running for election in the new district. The act also sets pay rules for reallocated positions, requires the Supreme Court to revise caseload factors by 2017 with a three-year data minimum, repeals conflicting laws, and takes effect immediately.

Who It Affects

• District and circuit judges in Alabama, who could be relocated to other districts or circuits or have vacancies filled differently based on JRAC decisions.
• Counties and residents of Alabama, who are guaranteed at least one district judge per county and may experience changes in how judgeships are allocated to improve access to justice, under oversight by the Governor, Legislature, and the judiciary.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Judicial Resources Allocation Commission (JRAC) and defines its composition and diversity requirements.
• JRAC must annually review the need for increasing or decreasing judgeships in each district and circuit using specified criteria (Judicial Weighted Caseload Study, population, judicial duties, and other relevant information) and rank courts.
• JRAC may reallocate judgeships based on rankings, including vacancies or age-ineligibility scenarios, with safeguards to prevent harming districts and to ensure every county retains at least one district judge; vacancies follow the new district/circuit under law, and funding travels with the relocated judgeship.
• A reallocated judge serves with full authority in the new district/circuit and must complete the existing term before running for election in that district/circuit; remaining positions are renumbered accordingly, and funding is maintained for the relocated position.
• Compensation for reallocated judgeships is governed by existing pay laws; the Supreme Court must revise the Judicial Weighted Caseload Study factors by January 1, 2017, with a three-year data requirement before reallocations take effect; the act repeals conflicting laws and becomes effective immediately.

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