Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Secretary of State Beth Chapman Sued over Candidacy Law

Attorney Jerry Blevins  has sued Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman over candidacy rules concerning residency requirements in the 19th Judicial Circuit.  I agree with Jerry, that it's not fair to have to live within the 3 counties that comprise the 19th Judicial Circuit, in order to run for the position of Judgeship.  We could actually bring up other issues of state officials who are serving in certain positions and are not living within their jurisdictions, but I won't address that in this post.  Judge William Shashy is the judge in this particular case at the moment

The 19th Judicial Circuit DOES need an overhaul.  I hope that more attorneys from other counties, will stand up and run against some of the judges that continue to be re-elected in this Judicial Circuit.  TERM LIMITS comes to mind, right now.  http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20091110/NEWS01/911100331/1007/rss02

3 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

We truly need TERM LIMITS --for all state and federal jobs, Deb.. That would solve so many of our problems.

Wonder why people keep voting the same people back in --especially when they do such a poor job????? We're an apathetic nation....

Hugs,
Betsy

Deb Murphree/Alabama Politics said...

Amen and Amen LOL....You always have such good advice, Betsy. I wish you could come and run the State of Alabama!!!

Don said...

Deb, I'd have to check the Alabama Constitution to see if it requires a judge to reside in the district he holds office in, and frankly I just don't have time to do that now. Perhaps you or someone else does.

That said, I do know that Section 47 of our constitution sets residency requirements for our state senators and representatives, as follows:

"SECTION 47 of the Alabama Constitution
Qualifications of senators and representatives.
Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and representatives twenty-one years of age at the time of their election. They shall have been citizens and residents of this state for three years and residents of their respective counties or districts for one year next before their election, if such county or district shall have been so long established; but if not, then of the county or district from which the same shall have been taken; and they shall reside in their respective counties or districts during their terms of office."

Obviously our state Senator "Walking Wendell" Mitchell doesn't comply with the constitutional requirement for residency even though he may claim that his legal residence is in Luverne in a run-down house he doesn't live in. He has actually lived for years in at 2607 Leonidas Drive in an upscale area of East Montgomery which is located in SD 25 which is represented by Senator Larry Dixon, while Mitchell unconstitutionally represents SD 30 in the Alabama Legislature.

If anyone doesn't believe that Mitchell actually resides outside of the district he represents, just pick up you phone, dial (334) 272-3308, and if anyone answers ask them whose residence you've reached.