Alabama Court of the Judiciary
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The Alabama Court of the Judiciary is a
court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...
within the
judicial branch The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
of the
American state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
. It has the power to try judicial officers in other state courts and punish them for violation of judicial ethics, misconduct, dereliction of duty, or incapacitation. The Court is convoked to hear complaints of the state Judicial Inquiry Commission. The Court is composed of the following: * The Chief Judge of the Court, an appellate judge chosen by the Supreme Court from a court other than the Supreme Court. * Two circuit judges and one district judge, chosen by the District Judges' Association. * Two members of the
Alabama State Bar The Alabama State Bar is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Alabama. The Alabama State Bar was established in 1923 and is governed by th1975 Alabama Code, Title 34, Chapter 3 It is the "licensing and regulatory a ...
and chosen by them. * Three nonlegal professionals appointed by the Governor of Alabama with consent of the
Alabama Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district conta ...
. Prior to 2005, the
Lieutenant Governor of Alabama The lieutenant governor of Alabama is the president and presiding officer of the Alabama Senate, elected to serve a four-year term. The office was created in 1868,1868 Const. art. V, § 1 abolished in 1875,1875 Const. art. V, § 1 and recreated in ...
was able to pick one of the three nonlegal members. Following the results of a trial, the judge(s) in question may, if they wish, appeal to the
Supreme Court of Alabama The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six-year terms. The Supreme Court is hous ...
.


Relationship with impeachment

As is typical with most state legislatures, supreme court justices in Alabama can be impeached. However, Amendment 580 to the state constitution places the Court of the Judiciary at a higher priority than legislative action—e.g. a judge cannot be impeached while being tried by the Court, and should a prosecution in the Court fail, the legislature may not proffer an impeachment for the same reasons.


Sources


Alabama Judicial System Online - Court of the Judiciary
Alabama state courts Courts and tribunals with year of establishment missing {{US-law-stub