Why is Colbert District Judge George Carpenter Retiring?

With almost 11 months left to qualify in the Colbert County District Judge race, the list of announced candidates is rapidly growing. With this much interest in the office, several of our readers have asked why current District Judge George E. Carpenter is retiring.

There's probably no one answer to that question, but the accidental death of his son, Tuscumbia attorney Andrew Carpenter (pictured), two years ago is certainly a factor. Further, Carpenter will almost assuredly return to private practice to boost his retirement income. The salary for retired District Judges in Alabama is slightly less than for their counterparts in Circuit Court; it's calculated at the somewhat convoluted formula:

90% x 75% x Circuit Court Judge Salary at Date of Retirement x Years of Judicial Service ÷ Years Required at Retirement Age.

Democratic candidates who hope to succeed Judge Carpenter will be speaking at 6:30 p.m. on June 15th at the Steelworkers' Union Hall on Wilson Dam Road in Muscle Shoals. Since there is high probability a Democratic candidate will win the judgeship, everyone who is able is urged to attend this public function.


Tomorrow: Who is Chad Coker?