SB138 Summary

• Authorizes appointment of former or retired district and circuit court judges as private judges for civil cases, provided they have served at least six consecutive years and maintain Alabama bar membership and residency.

• Allows private judge appointments only when all parties file a written petition with the circuit clerk and the case involves domestic relations, contract, tort, or a combination thereof.

• Requires private judges to register with the Alabama Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution and grants them the same judicial powers as circuit court judges, including jurisdiction over court procedure, witness attendance, contempt punishment, and order enforcement.

• Establishes a $100 filing fee for private judge appointment petitions, split equally between the Administrative Office of Courts and the county clerk's office, with cases conducted without a jury and appealable through standard circuit court procedures.

• Permits private judges to receive compensation from parties as agreed in a contract that covers the judge's fees, all personnel compensation, and facility costs, effective three months after passage.