Judge Threatens to Involve Presidents in Suit
On the same day that Roy Johnson pleaded guilty to 15 counts involving bribery, conspiracy, money laundering, witness tampering, obstruction and fraud related to his tenure as chancellor of the 2-year college system, Judge Johnny Hardwick in a separate case ordered the Alabama Board of Education to continue use of a practice allowing legislators to use flex-time to serve in the legislature.
Helen Hammons gives Parlor readers a first-hand account of the proceedings in Hardwick’s courtroom.
The ongoing war over whether or not legislators will be allowed to continue to work for the two-year college system and in the Legislature at the same time had another skirmish in Montgomery County Circuit Court on Monday when attorneys for legislators Blaine Galliher, Terry Spicer, Laura Hall and other plaintiffs and attorneys for Governor Bob Riley, Chancellor Bradley Byrne and the state Board of Education locked horns with each other.
Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick gave both sides a hard time and even threatened to bring the college presidents into the suit during a heated exchange with defense lawyer Stephen Fitts about unpaid leave requests supposedly submitted to college presidents.
Right wing Troy King and trial lawyer Jere Beasley? Not sure if that is the first or second
Following up on
State Finance Director Jim Main (R) has decided not to run for the Supreme Court seat opened up by Harold See’s retirement. I suppose no one is more appreciative of Main’s flirtation with candidacy for this position
The Parlor has learned that the Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee today endorsed Judge Greg Shaw of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals as their candidate for next year’s state Supreme Court race. The ACJRC met this morning with Republican candidates Shaw and Jim Main, State Finance Director.
Criminal Appeals Court Judge Kelli Wise
Multiple sources are telling the Parlor that Governor Bob Riley’s
I have figured that someone knows more about this story than is being told, but I haven’t heard it even as I have watched the story continue to unfold.
The Mobile Bay Times
Brooks is reportedly so focused on the appointment that, if he is recommended as one of the three names by the committee to Governor Riley, Riley may not have an obvious win in the situation. He can appoint Brooks to the bench, and take his chances on the GOP losing the Senate seat (where former state Senator and Democrat Gary Tanner would presumably be the favorite in the early-going). Or he can keep Brooks in the Senate where Brooks may be unhappy and a less-than-solid vote for Riley. An unhappy Republican in the Senate is better for Riley than a Democrat like Tanner, though it’s not a certainty that Tanner would win. And of course, this still carries the caveat that the GOP loss of the seat would be mitigated if
Brooks has previously sought a Circuit Court judgeship. One legislator has told me that Brooks has not looked comfortable in the Senate, and could imagine that Brooks might prefer to be on the bench. On the other hand, Brooks was the only challenger to beat a Senate incumbent (Democrat Gary Tanner) in the general election, and Tanner would be a strong candidate to reclaim the seat. Riley would be reluctant to lose a Republican seat in a Senate where Democrats are close to claiming a 21-vote filibuster-proof caucus in the 35 member state Senate.
(R) Jeff Sessions (1-19)
(D) Vivian Figures (33-1)
(D) Artur Davis (1-49)
(R) Mike Hubbard (13-1)
(?) David Bronner (OFF)