TaTa, Alice; Hello, Joyce?

On January 15, we (along with a myriad of others) speculated that Barack Obama would soon seek a replacement for Florence's Alice Martin (pictured), the Federal Prosecutor in the Northern District of Alabama, an area consisting of 31 counties. Now, the names of two individuals have been placed into consideration for the position.

Leading the list is Joyce Vance, currently a US attorney from Birmingham. Should Vance receive the appointment, we should all be interested in how this would affect the ongoing investigation of Troy King, as well as Florence's Roger Lovelace, the subject of an FBI investigation that has dragged on for years.

Vance is the daughter-in-law of the late Federal Judge Robert Smith Vance Sr who was murdered in 1989. While at his Mt. Brook home, Vance opened a package containing a nail-bomb disguised as a Christmas present. He died immediately and his wife Helen was seriously injured.

However, the most intriguing family connection is Joyce's husband, Robert Smith Vance Jr. While a Circuit Judge in Jefferson County, Vance became so exasperated with Alabama felon voting laws that on August 23, 2006, he ordered voting rights restored to all former felons. Vance later did not contest the order being overruled--on the condition the Alabama Legislature defined the term moral turpitude. We're still waiting.

Alabama is now only one of four states that do not automatically restore political rights after a first time felon has completed his sentence. Unfortunately, Alabama Attorney General Troy King, who was seeking his first elected term at that time, has increased the definition of moral turpitude crimes to a proverbial laundry list. After the 2006 election, King instructed each county registrar to purge the voting lists of any former felons who had registered during this period.

We're hoping Joyce Vance becomes the next Federal Prosecutor for Northern Alabama. We're hoping Mrs. Vance restores honor and dignity, not only to the office she will hold, but to all Alabamians who deserve it. We're hoping for a better Alabama. Join us in this hope; help us make it a reality.


How do you count success: Do you count it by the number of pieces of paper and plaques that hang on your walls or do you count it by the difference you have made in this life? We try for the latter.