SB297 By Senators Hightower, Figures and Glover RFD Finance and Taxation General Fund Rd 1 19-MAR-15

SYNOPSIS: This bill would create an additional circuit judgeship, designated Circuit Judgeship Number 12, in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit comprised of Mobile County and would provide for the funding of the judgeship. This bill would provide for the election of the judge at the 2016 general election under certain conditions.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

To provide for an additional circuit judgeship in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit comprised of Mobile County; and to provide for the election of the judge and to provide for the funding under certain conditions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. There is created an additional circuit judgeship for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit which shall be designated Circuit Judgeship Number 12, which shall be conditioned upon the availability of funding the additional judgeship by one of the two following methods: (1) Funding for the additional judgeship is available for the State of Alabama before the qualifying period for the election of the judgeship. (2) If state funding is not available before the qualifying period for the election of the judgeship, then the additional judgeship shall be conditioned upon adoption of a resolution by the Mobile County Commission to provide the necessary funding for the first 36 months for compensation and benefits of the judge filling the additional circuit judgeship, a judicial assistant, and a court reporter for the judge.

Section 2. (a) Circuit Judgeship Number 12 shall be filled at the general election held in November 2016.

(b) The first judge elected to the additional circuit judgeship pursuant to this act shall serve for a six-year term, holding office from the first Monday following the second Tuesday in January after the general election at which that judge is elected.

(c) The judge elected to the additional circuit judgeship pursuant to this act shall have and shall exercise all the jurisdiction, power, rights, and authority and shall possess all of the qualifications, perform all of the duties, and shall be subject to all of the responsibilities and duties of the office to which other circuit judges are subject.

Section 3. The annual compensation of the circuit judges elected pursuant to this act shall be in accordance with Chapter 10A of Title 12, Code of Alabama 1975, including, but not limited to, the provision that no circuit judge first elected or appointed to office after October 1, 2001, shall be provided a salary supplement or expense allowance.

Section 4. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Mobile County

Counties

Court, Circuit

Judge, Circuit

Elections

Judges

County Commissions