Six candidates are now in contention to fill a vacant seat on the Mobile County Circuit Court bench, following the retirement of longtime Circuit Judge Joseph “Rusty” Johnston earlier this spring.
Johnston had been on medical leave since early February before formally retiring, opening a vacancy that triggered Alabama’s standard judicial nomination process. Under that process, a local judicial commission reviews candidates, narrows the field, and forwards a short list to the governor’s office for a final appointment.
The Mobile County Judicial Commission has put forward six names for consideration: attorneys Jeffrey U. Beaverstock, James T. Patterson, Timothy M. Shepard and Chris N. Galanos, along with two sitting judges already serving Mobile County courts — Mobile Municipal Judge Wanda B. Rahman and Mobile County District Judge Jay A. York.
The mix of nominees reflects the two typical paths to a circuit court appointment in Alabama: promotion from within the local judiciary, or appointment of a practicing attorney with courtroom experience. Rahman and York already hear cases in Mobile’s municipal and district courts, respectively, giving them direct experience with the local docket, while the four attorneys bring private-practice backgrounds to the table.
As with past circuit court vacancies in Mobile County, the public has been given a window to weigh in before the process moves forward. Residents were able to submit comments on the nominees through noon on May 6, 2015. After that comment period closes, the judicial commission is expected to trim the list to three finalists, who will then go to the governor’s desk for a final decision.
Alabama’s circuit courts are the primary trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state, hearing felony criminal cases, civil disputes above a certain dollar threshold, family law matters, and appeals from lower courts. A circuit judgeship in a county the size of Mobile carries a substantial caseload, and the person ultimately appointed will step into docket responsibilities immediately upon confirmation.
Vacancies like this one are relatively uncommon and tend to draw a competitive field, since circuit judgeships in Alabama are otherwise filled through contested elections held every six years. An appointment allows a new judge to begin serving immediately rather than waiting for the next general election cycle, though whoever is appointed would eventually have to stand for election to keep the seat long-term.
For Mobile County residents who interact with the circuit court system — whether through jury duty, civil litigation, family court proceedings or criminal cases — the outcome of this appointment will directly shape who oversees a significant share of the county’s legal business for years to come.
No timeline beyond the May 6 comment deadline had been publicly announced for when the governor’s office would name a final appointee.