Chad B. Coker - On Inside Track for Colbert District Judge?

Is Tuscumbia attorney Chad B. Coker destined to become the next Colbert County District Judge? Many think so, partially due to his association with current judge George Carpenter. Carpenter's son Andrew was law partner to Coker at the time of his death, and the elder Carpenter and Coker have remained close friends.

Like Polly Ruggles, Coker currently toils as a municipal judge. Officiating at both Russellville and Cherokee Municipal Courts, Coker also is prominent among Colbert County divorce attorneys and volunteers in the C.A.S.A. program. A graduate of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Coker is president of the Colbert County Alumni Association.

Many use municipal judgeships to boost their chances for county offices, but Coker may have lessened his via association with the small town of Cherokee. For many years Tuscumbia attorney Ben Gardner served as city judge for that rural Colbert town, only to be terminated by Mayor Mignon Willis, a friend of Coker who chose him to replace the popular Gardner.

We look forward to hearing Chad Coker's vision for Colbert County when he speaks at the Shoals Democratic Club Monday night.


What's up with this: Lauderdale County teacher Allen Wilson avoided an assault conviction Friday. Apparently it's all right for one teacher to strike another on school premises--just not so all right for a parent to do it.

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?