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Supreme Court Justice Champ Lyons, a Republican, has contributed to the candidacy of Democrat Rhonda Chambers, according to a release from the Chambers campaign.
Chambers faces Republican Kelli Wise for the spot on the Supreme Court being vacated by Patti Smith.
Monday the Parlor broke the story for you of a similar contribution from Justice Tom Woodall, a Republican, to Democrat Mac Parsons. Parsons is challenging Woodall’s Republican colleague Tom Parker in November.
Here is the full text of the release from the Chambers campaign:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ben Gaines
Rhonda Chambers Honored to Have the Confidence of Widely Respected Justice
Democratic nominee for the Alabama Supreme Court Rhonda Chambers today received a contribution from Republican Champ Lyons, the senior-most Justice on the Alabama Supreme Court.
“It was the late Justice Oscar Adams who planted the seed in my heart to believe that I might someday be a Justice on the Alabama Supreme Court,” said Chambers. “He told me that first I had to work to earn the respect of my peers in the legal profession and the Justices on the Court.”
“Through my work I have come to know Justice Lyons well, admire him greatly, and would be honored to serve with him on the court.”
“Partisan politics have no place in the courtroom, and they should not be a factor in judicial elections,” said Chambers. “I am proud to have the support of many Republicans around the State, and if the people of Alabama honor me with their vote, I will not rule as a Democratic Justice or as a Republican Justice, but as a fair and impartial justice, guided by my values and the rule of law.”
Rhonda Chambers has practiced as an appellate lawyer for over twenty years. Since 2002, she has served as the Chair of the Supreme Court Standing Committee on Appellate Procedure. In 2004, thanks to the leadership of Justice Lyons, she was asked to serve on the Committee which developed the Alabama Appellate Mediation Program, a program which has successfully mediated 494 cases before the Alabama Supreme Court and 594 cases before the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, saving the taxpayers of Alabama hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Chambers has been named “Best of the Bar” by the Birmingham Business Journal, and has been recognized by Alabama Super Lawyers and the Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers for her appellate practice. She has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Appellate Law.
Justice Lyons was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court in 1998 by Governor Fob James, was elected for a full term in 2000 and re-elected 2006. He may be contacted through his judicial office.
For more information, see http://rhondachambers2010.com, or contact Ben Gaines at (205) 936-6571.
# # #
www.RhondaChambers2010.com
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Rhonda Chambers, P.O. Box 55208 Birmingham, AL 35255
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The bottom line is that Kelli Wise isn’t qualified for the Supreme Court. I think Justice Lyons and Woodall would like to see the court have the best and brightest Justices. Wise and Parker don’t make the cut. Look for Steve Windom’s wife Marty to try to move up in 2 years. Ditto for her candidacy.
Justice Lyons has NEVER been a real Republican. He is another democrat who Fob James put in office. He has run under the Republican label but that has been in name only. Another one of the bad eggs that Fob gave us.
It is not up to Justices to influence and seat their own colleagues on the bench it should be the voters. They should stay out of the politics part of it. This is probably his last run and that is why he is doing it. He wouldn’t be allowed on the ballot again if attempts to qualify. This problem will take care of itself soon enough.
Let the unrelenting attacks on Justice Lyons begin!!
To make it easier, here is a list of terms that future comments can use. Just enter the number, instead of having to type out the actual epithet:
1. Liberal; 2. Obama-lover; 3. Not a real Republican; 4. Commie; 5. Traitor to his party and the people of Alabama; 6. Democrat; 7. Trial lawyer stooge; 8. Baby killer;
9. Gay marriage supporter; 10. Sue Bell Cobb-lover; 11. All of the above.
Sad to see this.
Kelli Wise has served well on the Court of Criminal Appeals and she would serve well as a member of the Alabama Supreme Court. Judge Wise is a balanced individual with a conservative philosophy, but a heart for people.
My guess is that Justice Lyons knows Rhonda Chambers and has a personal connection, but that he would support Kelli Wise. BTW, Ms Chambers is a fine individual, as well. But Kelli Wise is the solid conservative
“Partisan politics have no place in the courtroom, and they should not be a factor in judicial elections,” said Chambers. “I am proud to have the support of many Republicans around the State, and if the people of Alabama honor me with their vote, I will not rule as a Democratic Justice or as a Republican Justice, but as a fair and impartial justice, guided by my values and the rule of law.”
Amen, Ms. Chambers. Well said.
Good statement by Rhonda Chambers. No doubt Rhonda Chambers is a woman of integrity.
But, so is Kelli Wise–and Kelli has eight years experience on an appeals court and has vast experience in this field.
We have two good candidates–but this voter is with Kelli Wise
Those words by Rhonda Chambers don’t mean much by themselves.
Who says – “I’m running to be Democrat or Republican hack.”
I’m pretty sure that if you will check, Kelli Wise’s official campaign slogan is “I’m running to be a Republican hack”
This is a breath of fresh air that people aren’t slaves to the party but are instead making a choice as to the best person for the people, regardless of the party!
Let’s cut to the chase….Kelli Wise is a graduate of a 5th Rate law school. Chambers is at least a graduate of a law school that has always been ABA certified. Who would you rather have a person who can actually grasp the law and write an understandable opinion or a political hack who happens to have a law degree from a 5th Rate law school? FYI, I don’t see Parsons much better than Parker just more willing to work rather than preach and show up at Tea Party functions when he should be taking care of a case load.
Do they go the way of other wayward GOP office holders? Does the GOP render retribution like it did to Harri Ann Smith and others who put principle above party? People will be watching. By the standard set, Justice Lyons and Justice Woodall should not be allowed to run again as a republican.
PROUD AEA. Her law license is treated by the Alabama State Bar the same as any other attorney so I fail to understand your questioning her character based on where she went to law school. She has a valid and active law license! Do you even have a law license? Maybe you have been disbarred? You just don’t like Mrs. Wise and your entitled to your opinion. I pray no attorney will ever take any proud AEA members case.
Rev Killian touts GOP candidates as “conservative” but there is no legitimate room for conservative activism on a court. Rev. Killian’s brand of “judicial activism” disrespects the Constitution, disrespects our nation’s founding fathers, and must be stopped.
It is time for folks who love and respect our founding fathers, our history, and our constitution to stand up to “activist judges” and support judicial candidates who will simply call a strike a strike and a ball a ball – without regard to political spin.
Clearly Justices Woodall and Lyons recognize the threat of judicial activism to the integrity of our state and nation and have chosen to support Dem candidates Parsons and Chambers. The courage shown by Woodall and Lyons is substantial and should be applauded.
A supreme court justice must refrain from placing a political spin on a ruling – even if the spin is done in the name of “conservative values.”
DC, you miss the point. The law school she graduated from is one of the worst in the country. Up until two years ago graduates of Jones could not even be license to practice in other states because it did not meet the MINIMUM ABA standards for accreditation. Those same standards apply to Mrs Wise today.
I agree with ???? that a Justice should rule according to law, and not according to whim.
A strike should be a strike and a ball should be a ball–agreed!
That way a court should favor neither business nor plantiff interests, but should rule according to law.
Frankly, I believe that Kelli Wise and Tom Parker would agree with this philosophy
http://www.rickeystokesnews.com/article.php/republicans-giving-money-to-democrats-others-calling-for-people-to-be-fired-12752
CC – You and Rickey Stokes should please check a fact or two before you run around popping off about things that you know nothing about. The two justices that gave money to Democrats, are they up for re-election this year? Answer. No. So what exactly can be done at this juncture? Get them kicked off the bench over a GOP rule? No.
Nothing was done to Harri Anne until she was up for re-election. At that time, not in 2008 and not in 2009 but in 2010, someone challenged her candidacy based on the rule and she paid the price for violating a rule that she knew would have consequences – she ain’t a victim, she just plays one on the campaign trail.
So, oh great bastions of knowledge, IF the two justices run for re-election, and IF someone challenges their candidacy in 2012, THEN a decision will be made by the committee on what the appropriate action would be at that time. Based on what happened with Harri Anne, these two justices will most likely have the same result IF they run for re-election.
I know words like bastion and re-election are way above your pay grade, but please stumble across a fact or two before you whine or regurgitate information regarding topics of which you know nothing about.
In the words of Antoine Dodson, you are both so dumb. And you can run and tell that to wiregrasslive, homeboys.
Proud AEA Member —
Let me make it very clear that I DO NOT support Kelli Wise for Supreme Court, but as a graduate of Jones School of Law, I take offense to your comments regarding the law school. I’m not going to go into all of the specifics that make Jones a great school (higher bar passage rates than the other Alabama law schools in many recent years, tremendous success on the national level in advocacy, etc.), but I will tell you why I chose Jones (after receiving a Bachelor’s and Masters Degree from the University of Alabama), and I urge you to find out more facts about JSL for yourself.
I chose Jones because:
(1) JSL is currently building a great reputationi in this community, this state, and the legal community as a fantastic law school;
(2) JSL has recruited students from every state and prestigious universities around the country (Alabama, Auburn, Duke, Harvard – just to name a few);
(3) JSL has recruited outstanding and often-published faculty who received their legal training at great institutions (Texas, Virginia, Chicago, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Notre Dame, Yale – just to name a few);
(4) JSL provides a low student to facult ratio, for more enhanced learning and personalized attention between faculty and students; and
(5) JSL, in keeping with its mission, provides a high-quality legal education while acknowleding and edifying God and Christian principles.
These are things that cannot be said about many of the law schools that you may term as first, second, third, or fourth rate, but they can certainly be said about Jones. I’ll be the first to admit that JSL has not always been an exemplary law school. However, I feel confident that the leadership in the administration, as well as the faculty and students there now are striving every day to make it a great law school. Jones may never be ranked with Harvard and Yale or other law schools that you may consider to be the best, but I would put a Jones graduate angainst any graduate from any law school, and know that Montgomery, the state of Alabama, and the legal profession would be proud.
Judge Wise’s law school is an old issue. She has served for eight years as a good member of the Court of Criminal Appeals and has served before that writing opinions.
Whether she went to Jones or went to Alabama or went to Harvard, Judge Kelli Wise has proven herself capable
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/09/two_alabama_republican_justice.html
Rev is correct that Wise’s law school choice is old news. Wise has done a journayman’s job on the court of criminal appeals, so the real question is whether her background is so rooted in criminal law as to make her a novice and ill-prepared to handle cases outside of the criminal arena?
We don’t want an inexperenced person on our highest court.
Has Wise ever actually tried a case or argued an appeal before an appellate court?
I still can’t believe someone is using Slimy Stokes as a legit news source, he’s a gambling boss’s hatchet man and cousin to poor old self-described victim Harrianne. Go find a fact or at least a decent source before you spout off.
Roy
September 2nd, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Has Wise ever actually tried a case or argued an appeal before an appellate court?
Roy roy roy, don’t bring a knife to a gun fight…she served for eight years on the Court of Criminal Appeals. That’s better than any experience our last US Supreme Court Justice ever had.
The court of criminal appeals is widely known as the court of criminal affirmance. It’s the place people get parked who need a political job: Sue Bell Cobb, Jim Main, Kelli Wise, Mary Windom and the list goes on. If Twinkle had a law degree that’s where she’d be.
I was for CC and the whole 9 yards last year. I got mad at people, who had different opinions about this issue than I did, just like you all are doing now. I believed the hype, that CC would be a family destination, but now, after a few years of seeing how bad you people have acted over this issue online and to your neighbors, and after seeing how Gilley himself has acted on tv…
I want it to fail. I want you mud slinging clueless people, to learn something, and it’s called karma. You are not helping the situation doing things like this, lying, coming up with conspiracy theories, and bashing people that have brought more jobs to this area than Gilley did. You all are coming off as hypocrites here, and I want no part in it anymore.
I’d love for CC to open up for the country music, because I love country music, but I can’t not hang with you bigots and hypocrites any longer regarding this casino, and yes, now I’m calling it what it is. Get mad all you want too, it only hurts your cause how you’re all acting today….
Please, do learn something for once in your lives…
The Jones night school fellow is deluded. Jones does not have a higher passage rate than the accredited schools, Alabama and Cumberland. And Jones, after many, many years of trying has only attained preleminary accreditation of its program something based more upon number of books in its library than quality of education. It also has an open door admission policy–if you have the bucks it has a place for you. The University of Alabama admits about 1 out of every 20 applicants. Its faculty? Show me something any of them have published in a real legal journal.
Notwithstanding my comments about the crummy law school (Jones) I think Kelli Wise, by vitue of her employment as a law clerk and judge on the court of criminal appeals does qualify her for the seat she seeks. She isn’t a Harold See unfortunately but thankfully she isn’t a Tom Parker.
RealRepub, just wanted to fact check you real quick.
Jones has full ABA accreditation, and DOES NOT have an “open door admission policy”.
Link for Bar Results – Alabama State Bar…Detailed Report shows Alabama, Cumberland, Jones (Jones is on top on some of the exams and this only shows a couple of years – I’m a Cumberland grad and I know in 2006 and 2007 Jones had some of the highest rates in the state – we were always trying to beat Jones and UA)
http://alabar.org/admissions/bar-examination-statistics.cfm
Link for ABA list of fully approved schools – Jones is one of them – listed under Faulkner.
http://www.abanet.org/legaled/approvedlawschools/alpha.html
I’m from another law school, but I certainly respect Jones – the school has come a long way over the past couple of years, mostly the credit of the enhanced administration, faculty and students from what I understand. We met them in several advocacy tournaments and I hate to say that they put it to us a few times – let’s be proud of all of our Alabama law schools and move past this.
PS:
So the answer is that Wise has never tried a case and never argued a case in an appellate court? Sorry, but my knife got a little dull trying to cut through your non-answer.
Let me be more frank. You will never see a graduate of Jones working for BAR-W or Balch and Bingham as partner track lawyers much less at King and Spalding or Shearman and Sterling. It is a 5th rate law school that only recently, in the last 5 years meet the minimum standards to become accredited by the ABA. As far it’s admittance policy the only requirements are college degree, taken the LSAT, and cash in pocket and you are good to go……The state bar association gave Wise a poor rating when she ran for the Appeals Court and I feel the same will occur when they evaluate Supreme Court candidates.
Some bone head mentioned Harold See as an example of a great jurist. Let me remind you, Harold See NEVER took or passed the Alabama bar exam (which by the way is a minimum requirement of every lawyer in Alabama) and he never tried ONE case in Alabama. He was a Karl Rove, bought and paid for, activist and thanks to him, the courthouse doors are closed to many in Alabama. They’re open wide to the rich and powerful though.
Harold See was a law professor and they are exempt from the bar exam. The trial lawyer bought and paid for justice he defeated (Kenneth Ingram) didn’t take the bar exam either because the University of Alabama grads once had exemptions (changed when Cumberland came to state and night schools like Jones, Miles and Birmingham wanted equal treatment. Nether democrat chief justices Heflin or Torbert passed took the bar exam. The current democrat chief justice Blue Belle Cobb never practiced law because of her dad being a crony of Fob James and his appointment of her to a district judgeship right out of law school. Same story with democrat former justice Mark Kennedy except he was appointed district judge without practicing law by his father in law, George Wallace. None of the above could touch the intelligence or honesty of Harold See.
I would like to hear from any prospective candidates who aspire to replace Appellate Court Judge Craig Pittman. I am prepared to help them in their fund-raising efforts and in any other capacity in which I may be of service. To fully understand my reason for wanting to replace him , please visit savemarysavannah.com. My contact information is on that website. Thank you.