Greg Shaw
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James Gregory "Greg" Shaw was elected to a six-year term on the Alabama Supreme Court on November 4, 2008 in a partisan election. He ran as a Republican against Deborah Bell Paseur for the seat that became open as the result of the retirement of Harold See. His term will expire in 2014
Shaw is from Birmingham, Alabama. He serves as Chief Judge of the nine member Alabama Court of the Judiciary, to which he was appointed on March 16, 2007. He previously served on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
2008 general election results
The race between Paseur and Shaw was very close, and with all the precincts being certified on November 25, 2008, Shaw defeated Paseur with a 12,892 vote advantage. The final count was 1,021,371 for Shaw and 1,008,379 for Paseur.[1]
While waiting out for certification for the election, the Paseur Campaign was hoping for an automatic recount during the certification process.[2][3]
Despite Alabama's laws mandate an automatic recount if the election results are close to less than one percentage point, it was certified on November 25, 2009 that a recount would not happen as the apparent margin of victory is over one percent[4].
Biography
Judge Shaw graduated from Auburn University in 1979, receiving a B.S. degree with a major in chemistry. In 1982, Judge Shaw graduated in the top 10% of his class from Samford University's Cumberland School of Law. While at Cumberland, he received the American Jurisprudence Award for excellence in the study of evidence under Professor Charles Gamble, the author of the preeminent evidence treatise in Alabama. He is married to S. Samantha "Sam" Shaw, who was elected Alabama's State Auditor in 2006, and they have two sons.[5]
Legal career
After his admission to the Alabama State Bar in 1982, Judge Shaw worked with a small law firm in St. Clair County. He later started his own general law practice in Birmingham. In the fall of 1984, Judge Shaw joined the staff of Supreme Court Associate Justice Janie L. Shores and moved to Montgomery. After serving as Justice Shores's staff attorney for one year, he joined the staff of Supreme Court Associate Justice James Gorman Houston, Jr., in the fall of 1985, where he served as Justice Houston's senior staff attorney for over 15 years. Judge Shaw was elected to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in 2000 and was reelected to the court in 2006. On March 16, 2007, Judge Shaw was appointed Chief Judge of the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.[6]
Judge Shaw is one of only three Alabama judges who attended the Graduate Program for Judges at the University of Virginia School of Law. He graduated in 2004 with an LL.M. (master of laws degree) in the Judicial Process. Judge Shaw serves on the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism, and is also an Honorary Master of the Bench of the Hugh Maddox Inn of Court in Montgomery. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Criminal Procedure, the Alabama State Bar's Committee on Archives and History, the Alabama State Bar's Judicial Liaison Committee, and the Alabama Pattern Jury Instructions Committee- Criminal.
Memberships and civic activities
Judge Shaw completed the Master of Laws program at the University of Virginia School of Law in 2004, receiving the degree of Master of Laws (LL. M.) in the judicial process. He graduated with 30 other state and federal judges selected nationwide and he is one of only 3 judges from Alabama to participate in the program. Judge Shaw is an Honorary Master of the Bench of the Hugh Maddox Inn of Court in Montgomery, and he presently serves on the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism, the Alabama State Bar's Committee on Archives and History, the Alabama State Bar's Judicial Liaison Committee, the Alabama Pattern Jury Instructions Committee-Criminal, and the Advisory Committee on Criminal Procedure. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery.
Judicial philosophy
Republican. Judge Shaw's pledge on becoming a Supreme Court Justice,"As your next Alabama Supreme Court Justice, I will continue to put my 23 years of appellate experience to use by fairly deciding each case based solely on the law and the facts. I understand that the judicial branch plays an extremely important, but limited, role in our government. It is not a judge’s function to legislate from the bench, and I won’t do it. I will provide a strong conservative voice for you on the Alabama Supreme Court."[7]
"I love the law and I deeply respect the appellate courts of Alabama as institutions of justice. As a judge, I am in the truth-finding business, and to that end I am committed to excellence in the resolution of my cases. I do not leave my common sense at the courthouse door, and I will not sacrifice my principles for anyone or anything. I will simply continue to do what is expected of a judge -- work hard and render a principled decision in each case -- a decision based solely on the law and the facts. It is an honor to serve on your Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, and it would be an honor to continue to serve you on your Alabama Supreme Court."
2008 Supreme Court campaign
Video
(Narrated by former United States Presidential Candidate Fred Thompson)
Endorsements
Shaw has received endorsements from:
- Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee
- Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police; President Bill Davis, who announced the group’s endorsement recognized Shaw’s "fair, yet tough-on-crime" record as a Judge with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals over the last seven and a half years as the reason for the endorsement.[8][9]
The court's conservative renaissance
In an address to the Birmingham branch of the Federalist Society, Alabama Supreme Court candidate Greg Shaw said his experience as a Court staff attorney (1984-2000) allowed him to see the advance of Constitutionally-beholden justice in the state's highest court. Most of Shaw's time was spent working with then-Justice Gorman Houston, during which time he "saw conservative justices move from being outspoken dissenters to the court's majority." Shaw told the group, "I have seen the court track from a more liberal court to a more conservative court, in the sense that judges have a more firm grasp on the doctrine of separation of powers and the rule of law."[10] Shaw's competition, Deborah Bell Paseur, also addressed the group.
Impact of ExxonMobile ruling
In November of 2007, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of Exxon Mobil in ExxonMobil Corp. v. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Ms. 1031167 (Ala. Nov. 1, 2007), effectively throwing out a previous $3.6 billion jury award to the state. The dispute related to royalty appropriations. Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb was the sole dissenting voice. Nonetheless, the Exxon ruling could potentially rear its head as the race for the single Supreme Court vacancy heats up.
Shaw has said he's not sure who all his financial supporters are, but is fairly confident some of them can be tied to Exxon. Shaw said he expects Paseur to use the Supreme Court's 2007 Exxon Mobil ruling as an issue. Paseur, who declined comment through her campaign manager, Marion Steinfels, has reported no contributions from PACs so far.[11]
Campaign finance
Campaign finance reports indicate that Shaw's contributors are predominantly from the business community while Paseur's are predominantly from trial attorneys. Both candidates believe this leads to a perception that justice is for sale in Alabama; on the one hand, to the business community and on the other hand, to trial attorneys. Shaw said,"There is a perception in Alabama that justice is for sale in this state. . . . That strikes at the very heart of the confidence level that Alabamians have in the Supreme Court."[12]
See also
External links
- Judge Shaw's Campaign Website
- Office of State Auditor Samantha Shaw
- Alabama Supreme Court campaign hitting full stride as two vie for open seat
- Judge Shaw's bio from Alabama Judicial system website
- Washington Times: Alabama Election Schedule
- Exxon decision may re-emerge in court contest
- Profile from AL GOP website
- Shaw announces run for Supreme Court
- Birmingham's Wiki page on Greg Shaw
- Contribution laws should be more clear on disclosure
- Appointed judges would better serve Alabama
References
- ↑ Supreme Court results See Page 6
- ↑ Shaw claims victory in close race
- ↑ Recounts appear unlikely in SC race
- ↑ "Anniston Star NewsBank" Shaw wins Alabama Supreme Court race, November 26, 2009
- ↑ Judge Greg Shaw for Supreme Court
- ↑ Judge Shaw's Bio
- ↑ Judge Greg Shaw for Supreme Court
- ↑ Judge Shaw campaign website releases
- ↑ FOP endorses Shaw
- ↑ Former member of Court of Criminal Appeals seeks position on Alabama Supreme Court
- ↑ Exxon decision may re-emerge in court contest
- ↑ JudgesOnMerit.com
