Sixty Days without a Judge

When George Wallace appointee Judge Mike Suttle retires on January 31, it may be as long as two months before his replacement is announced. Lauderdale County already has a backlog of cases, making a prompt decision not only desirable, but necessary.

Today is the deadline for applicants to file with the selection committee, headed by retired Judge Leslie Johnson. The committee will have until March 1 to send its recommendation of three names to Gov. Bob Riley. Riley will then have an additional 30 days to pick among the three finalists, making it a distinct possibility that Lauderdale County will be minus one Circuit Judge until March 31.

The TimesDaily has reported only one applicant as of a week ago, and Judge Suttle's staff offered no comment when we contacted his office for an update. This is the first instance of Lauderdale County utilizing such a strenuous vetting process, with thorough background checks for all applicants. Perhaps this has deterred some from applying despite the lucrative salary.

Once the commission releases the names of applicants for the position, all citizens of Lauderdale County should feel not only free, but obligated to contribute to this selection process. Perhaps one impediment to citizens' participation in county government is outdated information posted on Lauderdale websites: http://lauderdalecountyonline.com/Directory/index.html

If we do not hold our elected officials accountable, no one will. Take the time to make your opinions known.


What's up with this: Judging from the Lauderdale County website referenced above, the county webmaster has been on holiday for some time.