HB202 Alabama 2012 Session

Under existing law, candidates for state attorney general and state appellate judicial offices, including the offices of Chief Justice and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, and Judge of the Court of Civil Appeals, are nominated by political parties and are included on the general election ballots in a column under the party name and emblem. A person elected to state appellate judicial office must, at the end of a six-year term, stand for reelection in a contested election rather than in a retention election in which the only issue is whether that person shall be retained in office

This bill would provide for the nonpartisan election of candidates for state attorney general and state appellate judicial office. The bill would require a special ballot for state attorney general and state appellate judicial candidates. The bill would provide for a filing fee to be paid by candidates for state attorney general and state appellate judicial office to the Secretary of State, to be split between the political parties

The bill would provide for filing with the Secretary of State an affidavit of indigency in lieu of payment of the filing fee. The bill also would provide that a person elected to a state appellate judicial office stands for reelection at the end of his or her term in the form of a retention election, rather than a contested election. The bill also would establish a judicial evaluation commission to evaluate performance of a state appellate judicial officer standing for reelection in a retention election

To provide for the nonpartisan election of the state attorney general and for the appellate judges; to require a special ballot for state appellate judicial candidates; to provide for a filing fee to be paid by appellate judicial candidates, to be split between the political parties; to provide for filing with the Secretary of State of an affidavit of indigency in lieu of payment of the filing fee; to amend Sections 17-6-20, 17-6-24, 17-6-25, 17-6-48, and 17-13-8, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to election of judges and justices and election procedures; to provide for retention elections for appellate judicial officers seeking reelection; and to establish a judicial evaluation commission to evaluate the performance of an appellate judicial officer seeking reelection through a retention election.