SJR109 Summary

• Posthumously honors Judge James Edwin Horton, Jr. for his judicial integrity and fairness in presiding over the 1933 retrial of Haywood Patterson in the Scottsboro Boys case.

• Judge Horton ordered a new trial for Patterson despite popular opinion because he believed the verdict was not supported by substantial evidence.

• Born January 4, 1878, in Tennessee, Judge Horton served in the Alabama House of Representatives, Alabama Senate, as a chancery court judge, and as a circuit court judge for two terms.

• Judge Horton lost his third term as circuit court judge due to his courageous decision in the Patterson case; he subsequently spent his life farming and practicing private law.

• The Alabama Legislature commends Judge Horton's legacy and outstanding contributions to the justice system, offering this resolution to his family as tribute.