SB255

ENGROSSED

By Senators Albritton and Orr

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

To provide for an additional circuit judgeship in the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit comprised of Madison County; to provide for an additional circuit judgeship in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit comprised of Autauga, Chilton, and Elmore Counties; to provide for an additional circuit judgeship in the Twenty-eighth Judicial Circuit comprised of Baldwin County; and to further provide for reallocation of vacant circuit judgeships.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. (a) There is created an additional circuit judgeship for the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit which shall be designated Circuit Judgeship Number 8.

(b) There is created an additional circuit judgeship for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit which shall be designated as Circuit Judgeship Number 4.

(c) There is created an additional circuit judgeship for the Twenty-eighth Judicial Circuit which shall be designated as Circuit Judgeship Number 6.

Section 2. (a) Circuit Judgeship Number 8 in the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit, Circuit Judgeship Number 4 in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, and Circuit Judgeship Number 6 in the Twenty-eighth Judicial Circuit shall be filled in the manner appropriate to fill a vacancy in their respective circuits, effective October 1, 2020.

(b) The first judges appointed to the additional circuit judgeships pursuant to subsection (a) shall serve pursuant to Section 153 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901.

(c) The judges appointed to the additional circuit judgeship pursuant to subsection (a) 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 serving pursuant to Section 2 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. Notwithstanding Section 12-9A-2, Code of Alabama 1975, or any other law to the contrary, the Judicial Resources Allocation Commission shall reallocate the first circuit judgeship that becomes vacant after the effective date of this act as provided under existing law. The commission may not reallocate the second, third, and fourth circuit judgeships that become vacant after the effective date of this act and those judgeships shall terminate. Thereafter, the commission may reallocate any subsequent circuit judgeship that becomes vacant as provided under existing law.

Section 5. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Madison County

Counties

Court, Circuit

Judge, Circuit

Elections

Judges