Alabama

Man in jail for 10 years awaiting murder trial wants court to toss the charge

An Alabama man who has been held without bail for 10 years on a murder charge is asking a judge to toss the case against him for violation of his right to a speedy trial. A Houston County, Alabama, judge is holding a hearing Tuesday to consider the motion filed…

Jun 6, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Bill intended to speed up capital appeals, opposed by the ABA, is signed by Alabama’s governor

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed into law a bill requiring capital defendants to pursue direct and post-conviction appeals at the same time. Ivey said in a press release that the bill, known as the Fair Justice Act, “strikes an important balance between protecting the rights of a defendant…

May 30, 2017 1:40 PM CDT

Alabama inmate is executed; Sotomayor dissent criticizes midazolam and lawyer phone ban

Alabama inmate Thomas “Tommy” Arthur was executed early Friday, the eighth time an execution had been scheduled for him. Arthur, 75, was put to death for the 1982 murder of his lover’s husband after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution, spurring a dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor,…

May 26, 2017 8:45 AM CDT

Alabama bill intended to shorten capital appeals is sent to governor; ABA had opposed it

The Alabama Legislature has passed and sent to the governor a bill intended to shorten death penalty appeals in the state.

The Legislature gave final approval to the bill last week despite opposition by the ABA, report AL.com and WHNT-TV. The bill requires requires defendants to seek post-conviction relief at the same time they are pursuing a direct appeal.

May 22, 2017 8:47 AM CDT

Alabama bill intended to streamline death-penalty appeals has ‘serious problems,’ ABA says

Alabama legislation designed to streamline capital appeals increases the risk that an innocent person will be executed, according to ABA President Linda A. Klein. Her May 12 letter (PDF) to members of the Alabama Legislature, written on behalf of the ABA, says the legislation known as the Fair Justice Act…

May 15, 2017 3:06 PM CDT

Judge permits Alabama city to leave school district despite finding racial motive

A U.S. district court judge in Birmingham, Alabama, found that the nearby city of Gardendale wants to leave its school district for racial reasons, a message she said “assail[s] the dignity of black schoolchildren.” Nonetheless, the Washington Post reported Thursday that Judge Madeline Haikala ruled that Gardendale may take steps…

Apr 28, 2017 4:37 PM CDT

Suspended Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Moore announces US Senate run

Roy Moore, the Alabama Supreme Court chief justice who recently lost an appeal of his suspension, announced Wednesday that he is resigning from that position and running for U.S. Senate, AL.com reports. In September, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore for the remainder of his term after he…

Apr 27, 2017 10:20 AM CDT

Suspension of Roy Moore from Alabama Supreme Court upheld, but don’t count him out for other offices

The suspension of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has been upheld, following his January 2016 order that state probate judges had a “ministerial duty” to not give same-sex couples marriage licenses. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore for the remainder of his term in September, the…

Apr 19, 2017 2:45 PM CDT

Alabama federal judge rules inmate’s defense team cannot have phone access during execution

An Alabama federal judge ruled that attorneys for a death row inmate scheduled to be executed next month cannot have telephone access during the execution to call a judge in case something goes wrong. AL.com reported Wednesday that U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins of the Middle District of Alabama…

Apr 14, 2017 11:24 AM CDT

Church police force would get law enforcement powers under bill approved by Alabama Senate

The Alabama Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow a church in Birmingham to establish its own police force. The bill would allow Briarwood Presbyterian Church to hire police with all the powers of state law enforcement officers, provided that they meet training requirements, report NPR, AL.com and…

Apr 12, 2017 3:57 PM CDT

Alabama’s new governor signs bill ending judicial override in capital cases

Alabama’s new governor, Kay Ivey, signed a bill on Tuesday that eliminates the ability of judges to override juries’ recommendations in capital cases. The law eliminates judicial override but allows juries to recommend the death penalty by a 10-2 vote, AL.com reports. Alabama is the only state that allows jurors…

Apr 12, 2017 12:48 PM CDT

Alabama governor’s resignation and guilty plea followed state supreme court order

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley resigned and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors on Monday after the state supreme court allowed impeachment proceedings against him. Bentley pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors that stemmed from an alleged affair with a former aide, report the Washington Post, the New York Times and AL.com. The…

Apr 11, 2017 9:35 AM CDT

ACLU files ethics complaint against Jeff Sessions over his Russia testimony

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions with the Alabama State Bar, where he is licensed to practice law, alleging that the U.S. attorney general has been dishonest about meeting with the country’s ambassador to Russia. Another complaint was filed by J.…

Mar 10, 2017 2:05 PM CST

11th Circuit revives Alabama justice’s First Amendment suit over disciplinary probe

A federal appeals court has ordered a lower-court judge to consider additional issues in a First Amendment suit filed by an Alabama justice who was facing a state ethics probe over his gay-marriage comments. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals returned the case filed by Justice Tom Parker…

Feb 10, 2017 1:51 PM CST

Judge suspended for jailing indigent defendants over traffic tickets is hired by city law department

Armstead Lester Hayes III, an Alabama judge suspended for improperly jailing traffic court defendants who were indigent, has been earning $6,500 a month to work in the city of Montgomery’s legal department. After a plea agreement with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Board, the state supreme court on Jan. 5 gave…

Jan 27, 2017 4:00 PM CST