Alabama Supreme Court Denies Judgeship for Elected Jefferson County Candidate and Gives it to Madison County

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, the Alabama Supreme Court permitted the Alabama Judicial Resources Allocation Commission (JRAC) to remove a judgeship from diverse Jefferson County to majority-white Madison County. This means Tiara Hudson, who won a primary election for the judgeship before JRAC decided to relocate it, will still be blocked from a seat on the bench.

The high court upheld the decision of the trial court to dismiss the case. The case, Hudson v. Ivey, was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama (ACLU-AL) on behalf of Tiara Hudson.

A copy of the court’s decision can be found HERE.

“Jefferson County residents deserve fair representation on the bench and a court system that meets their needs, but allowing the removal of an elected judgeship denies them both,” said Jess Unger, senior staff attorney for voting rights with the SPLC. “We’re disappointed that the court has refused to prioritize defending the rights of the Jefferson County community to fair representation and fair access to resources.”

"The Alabama Supreme Court's decision leaves in place a judgeship that lacks the proper constitutional authority to adjudicate cases in Madison County and strips the Jefferson County courts of a judgeship that it is supposed to retain under Alabama law," said Tish Gotell Faulks, Legal Director of the ACLU of Alabama. "Alabamians need and deserve clarity about how judicial resources are to be distributed so that every jurisdiction has the judges needed to reduce the statewide backlog of cases."

“I’m disappointed to be denied consideration for the seat I won a primary election for, but I’m even more disappointed that Jefferson County will be denied their right to an elected judge,” said plaintiff Tiara Hudson. “The decision to allow commissions to redistribute judicial seats without legislative approval diminishes the voice of a diverse community in choosing which judges will serve them.”