Patricia Smith
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Patricia "Patti" Mungenast Smith has served on the Alabama Supreme Court since 2005 along with eight other justices. She was first elected to a six-year term on the court in 2004. Her current term expires in 2010, and she has announced that she does not intend to run for another term. [1]
Alabama is one of eight states that picks state supreme court justices in partisan elections; Smith has run for the office as a Republican.
Education
Justice Smith received her undergraduate degree from Troy University. In 1976, Smith graduated from Jones Law School with her J.D..[2]
Legal background
After graduation, Smith joined the firm of Bell, Johnson and Medaris. Soon after, she was hired as the first female Assistant District Attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit. In 1980, Governor Fob James appointed Smith as the District Court Judge in Shelby County. She was re-elected as the Presiding District Court Judge in 1986, 1992 and 1998. Smith was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2004. Judge Smith is currently one of the longest serving judges in the State of Alabama.[2]
Awards and associations
- 2001 National Court Appointed Special Advocation Judge of the Year
- Chairman, Department of Human Resources Policy Review Committee
- Helped to establish the Developing Alabama Youth Foundation, Inc.
- Helped to establish the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs
- Member, Advisory Board to the Alabama Department of Youth Services
- Worked with King's Ranch and Hannah Homes
- Worked with Family Connection, Inc.
- Worked with Shelby County Regional Juvenile Detention Facility[2]
2004 Supreme Court election
On November 2, 2004, Smith handily beat Roger M. Monroe to win a seat on the Alabama Supreme Court.[3]
For a complete summary of Smith's campaign contributions, go to Follow the Money: Patricia Smith.
Supreme Court rules Alabama Bar can't reprimand judge
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama State Bar Association couldn't discipline Circuit Judge Stuart DuBose for inappropriate actions he made prior to becoming a judge. The high court ruled 5-4 that any disciplinary action by the state organization that represents Alabama's lawyers would have to wait until DuBose is no longer a judge. Concurring on the question were Justices Harold Frend See, Jr., Thomas Woodall, Lyn Stuart, Tom Parker and Michael Bolin. The ruling does not apply to charges pending against DuBose before the Court of the Judiciary. The Judicial Inquiry Commission brought a 60-count complaint against DuBose for ethical misconduct that does include the matter that the bar association was looking into. DuBose argued after he took office that the bar association no longer had jurisdiction since he was now a judge and no longer an attorney in private practice. The majority of the Supreme Court justices agreed but Justice Champ Lyons, Jr. of Mobile writing for the four justices who dissented said, "Treating the rule as preventing the State Bar from disciplining a judge for conduct that occurred before taking office gives the judge an unwarranted immunity." Others dissenting included Justices Patricia Smith and Glenn Murdock and Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb.[4]
External links
References
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The Alabama Project on Judgepedia
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