SB230 Summary

• Creates the permanent Judicial Resources Allocation Commission composed of the Chief Justice of Alabama Supreme Court (chair), the Governor's legal advisor, three circuit judges, three district judges, and three licensed attorneys, with membership reflecting racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity.

• Commission shall annually review district and circuit courts using criteria including the Judicial Weighted Caseload Study, population based on decennial census, judicial duties, and other relevant information to rank courts by need for increasing or decreasing judgeships.

• Authorizes reallocation of judgeships only upon vacancy due to death, retirement, resignation, or removal, or when an incumbent judge becomes ineligible for reelection due to age limits, with the Commission having 30 days to determine reallocation and provide rankings to the Governor and Legislature within 30 days.

• Prohibits reallocation if it would move the losing district or circuit into the ten counties or circuits most in need of judges; requires each county to maintain at least one district judge.

• Requires the Alabama Supreme Court to revise the Judicial Weighted Caseload Study by January 1, 2016, to fairly account for criminal cases by counts, with no reallocation permitted until three years of revised data is available.