Greg Griffin (Alabama)
Greg Griffin (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit. He assumed office on December 8, 2014.
Griffin (Democratic Party) ran for election as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Griffin received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 1980, his J.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1983, and his LL.M. degree in tax law from the Boston University School of Law in 1984.[1][2]
From 1995 until his appointment to Circuit 15 in December 2014, Griffin served as the chief legal counsel for the Alabama Board of Pardons & Paroles. He also previously served as the chairman of the Republican Council.[3][2] Prior to this, he was an associate general counsel at A.G. Gaston Enterprises, an associate at Pennick Williams & Jones, and a staff attorney at Legal Services Corporation of Alabama.[4] He was an assistant attorney general from 1987 to 1995.[5]
Elections
2024
See also: Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2024
General election
General election for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice
Sarah Stewart defeated Greg Griffin in the general election for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sarah Stewart (R) | 65.8 | 1,458,501 |
 | Greg Griffin (D) | 34.1 | 756,675 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,350 | ||
| Total votes: 2,217,526 | |||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Greg Griffin advanced from the Democratic primary for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice
Sarah Stewart defeated Bryan Taylor in the Republican primary for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sarah Stewart | 61.5 | 334,135 |
 | Bryan Taylor | 38.5 | 209,217 | |
| Total votes: 543,352 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jerry M. Blevins (R)
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Griffin in this election.
2016
Alabama held general elections for local judicial offices in 2016. A primary election took place on March 1, 2016, with a primary runoff on April 12, 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016.
General election
Incumbent Greg Griffin ran unopposed in the general election for the Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit Place 1 seat.[6]
| Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit (Place 1), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic |  Greg Griffin Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: Alabama Votes, "2016 Unofficial General Election Results," accessed November 10, 2016 | ||
Primary election
Incumbent Greg Griffin defeated Vicky Underwood Toles in the Alabama 15th Circuit Court Democratic primary for Place 1.[7]
| Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit (Place 1), Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Greg Griffin Incumbent |
63.18% | 17,820 |
| Vicky Underwood Toles | 36.82% | 10,383 |
| Total Votes | 28,203 | |
| Source: Alabama Votes, "Unofficial Election Night Results," March 3, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan elections
There are 144 judges on the Alabama Circuit Courts, each elected to six-year terms. They appear on partisan election ballots statewide and must face re-election if they wish to serve again. The chief judge of a circuit court is selected by peer vote and serves a three-year term.[8]
Only voters residing in a particular circuit may vote for the circuit judge of that region.[8]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law for at least five years;
- a resident of his or her circuit for at least one year;
- under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their term expires)[8][9]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Greg Griffin did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy cases
Munza v. Ivey (2020)
Munza v. Ivey: On August 11, 2020, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Greg Griffin dismissed a lawsuit challenging Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s (R) authority to mandate the wearing of face masks to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In their complaint, the plaintiffs argued that the mask mandate was promulgated in violation of the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act (AAPA). The plaintiffs alleged that the Alabama Board of Health failed to meet statutory notice and administrative review requirements prior to the issuance of the mask mandate. As a result, the plaintiffs argued, the order was "nothing more than an expression, and does not carry the weight of law and it cannot be valid or effective against any person or party until the proper procedures are met." In their motion to dismiss, state officials argued that the plaintiffs incorrectly challenged the legal basis for the mask mandate. They argued that because Ivey incorporated the order into a gubernatorial proclamation under her own authority, granted by the Emergency Management Act, the plaintiffs' claims were without merit. After hearing oral arguments, Griffin dismissed the case from the bench without explanation.[10][11][12]
The plaintiffs appealed to the state supreme court. On March 19, 2021, the Alabama Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the lower court's dismissal, finding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to proceed with their action. Justice Michael Bolin (R), writing for the court, said that the plaintiffs had failed to prove they were directly injured by the statewide mask order. Bolin also said that the plaintiffs had failed "to even state that they have refused to wear masks or facial coverings in public such that they could be subject to an enforcement action." Alabama's mask mandate was set to expire on April 9, 2021.[13][14]
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Gregory Oswald Griffin, Sr. - Lawyer Profile," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn.com, "Greg Griffin Sr.," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ WAKA.com, "Alabama Governor Names Montgomery Judge," December 2, 2014
- ↑ 'Email correspondence with Greg Griffin, April 28, 2016
- ↑ Email sent to Ballotpedia on November 2, 2015
- ↑ Alabama Votes, "2016 Election Information," accessed May 5, 2016
- ↑ Alabama Votes, "2016 Primary Election Sample Ballots," accessed February 19, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Judicial Retirement Laws, "Alabama: Mandatory Retirement Provisions Applicable Generally," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ AL.com, "Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s statewide mask order," August 11, 2020
- ↑ Montgomery County Circuit Court, "Munza v. Ivey: Complaint," July 24, 2020
- ↑ Montgomery County Circuit Court, "Munza v. Ivey: Motion to Dismiss," July 27, 2020
- ↑ Montgomery County Circuit Court, "Munza v. Ivey: Complaint for Temporary Restraining Order, Preliminary Injunction, and Injunctive Relief," accessed March 23, 2021
- ↑ Supreme Court of Alabama, "Munza v. Ivey: Appeal from Montgomery Circuit Court," March 19, 2021
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