SB288 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Greg AlbrittonSenator

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

SB 288 would allow the Chief Justice and presiding circuit judges to move judges across or within circuits to reduce congestion and delays, with rules and funding to support the changes.

What This Bill Does

The bill authorizes the Chief Justice to assign circuit or district judges to serve in another circuit for a reasonable period to address congestion, delays, or backlogs. It also lets presiding circuit judges assign judges within the circuit to serve in either the circuit or district courts, and removes the previous temporary-only limit on such assignments. Judges (and certain staff) would be reimbursed for travel and related expenses, and refusing to follow these orders would be a violation of judicial ethics. The bill also expects a rule change to align with these provisions, and it becomes law three months after passage.

Who It Affects

• Judges in Alabama's circuit and district courts, who could be reassigned to other circuits or within their own circuit for longer periods and would receive travel and related expense reimbursements.
• Court systems and users (including presiding circuit judges, the Administrative Director of Courts, and court staff) who would see changes in scheduling, staff usage, and potentially quicker access to justice due to reduced backlog.

Key Provisions

• Adds Sections 12-9A-7 and 12-9A-8 authorizing the Chief Justice to assign circuit or district judges to serve in another circuit for a reasonable period to address congestion, delays, or backlog.
• Requires the Chief Justice to consider the needs of the circuits involved when determining how long a judge will be assigned cross-circuit.
• Provides that assigned judges are reimbursed for travel and maintenance expenses from the State Treasury as they would be for other official duties outside the home circuit.
• Allows the presiding circuit judge to assign circuit or district judges within the circuit to serve in the circuit or in district courts of the circuit; assignments must be in writing and filed with the proper officials; staff such as secretaries, bailiffs, and reporters may also be reassigned within the circuit as needed.
• States that refusing to follow an order under these sections would violate the canons of judicial ethics.
• Intends for Rule 13 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration to be amended to conform with these provisions.
• Effective date: becomes law on the first day of the third month after 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