HB68 Alabama 2018 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jim HillRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2018
Title: Courts Judicial Resources Allocation, Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Alabama, require to reassign judges for prompt administration of justice, presiding circuit judge, authorized to reassign judges within circuit, Secs. 12-9A-7, 12-9A-8 added
Summary: HB 68 lets Alabama's Supreme Court and circuit judges temporarily move judges between circuits or within a circuit to reduce delays and backlogs, with Jefferson County exempt.
What This Bill Does
The Chief Justice can order a circuit or district judge to serve in another circuit for a reasonable period to improve court efficiency. A presiding circuit judge can assign judges within the circuit or district after evaluating needs like congestion and backlog, and may also assign court staff as needed. Judges must be reimbursed for travel and related expenses, and refusing an assignment or order violates judicial ethics. The act also requires alignment with Rule 13 and becomes effective after a specified transition period.

Who It Affects
Circuit and district judges who may be reassigned and may receive travel and maintenance reimbursements
Presiding circuit judges who assign judges and court staff within the circuit, and the staff who may be reassigned
Administrative Director of Courts and court clerks who record assignments
Jefferson County courts are exempt from these provisions

Key Provisions
Chief Justice, by order, may assign a judge from one circuit to another circuit to reduce congestion and backlog and to ensure prompt administration of justice; the time period is reasonable.
Presiding circuit judge may assign a judge within the circuit or district; assignments must be in writing, with notification provided to the judge and filed with the Administrative Director of Courts and the court clerk.
Assigned judges and relevant staff receive travel and maintenance reimbursements similar to out-of-home official duties; refusal to follow orders is a violation of ethics.
Jefferson County is exempt; the Supreme Court will amend Rule 13 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration to conform with these provisions; the act becomes effective after a transition period.

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