Judges appointed by Robert Bentley
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This page lists judges appointed by Robert J. Bentley (R) during their term as Governor of Alabama. As of today, the total number of Bentley appointees was 45. For the full profile of Bentley, click here.
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population. Some Alabama judges are outside of that coverage scope. As a result, this page does not provide an exhaustive list of all judges appointed by Gov. Bentley.
Appointment process
In Alabama, the governor makes judicial appointments. The appointed judge does not need to be confirmed by any other body, but she or he must run for the seat in the next general election more than one year after appointment.[1]
Appointed judges
The tables below list the governor's appointees to the courts across the state.
State Courts
Court of Appeals
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Alabama Court of Civil Appeals |
January 15, 2013 - January 18, 2021 |
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Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals |
2011 - 2018 |
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|
Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals |
2011 - 2019 |
Local Courts
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Alabama 10th Judicial Circuit |
2013 - 2019 |
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Alabama 10th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 10th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 13th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 13th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 15th Judicial Circuit |
December 8, 2014 - Present |
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Alabama 18th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 18th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 19th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 21st Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 22nd Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 23rd Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 26th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 28th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 30th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 30th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 32nd Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 33rd Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 6th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 6th Judicial Circuit |
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Alabama 6th Judicial Circuit |
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Baldwin County District Court |
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Calhoun County District Court |
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Clarke County District Court |
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Coffee County District Court |
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Covington County District Court |
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Covington County Probate Court |
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Crenshaw County Probate Court |
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Escambia County District Court |
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Etowah County District Court |
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Etowah County District Court |
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Jefferson County District Court Place 5 |
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Limestone County Probate Court |
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Madison County District Court |
2011 - 2018 |
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Marshall County District Court |
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Marshall County District Court |
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Mobile County District Court |
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Mobile County District Court |
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Russell County District Court |
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|
St. Clair County District Court |
Judicial selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Alabama
| Judicial selection in Alabama | |
 | |
| Alabama Supreme Court | |
| Method: | Partisan election |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Alabama Court of Civil Appeals | |
| Method: | Partisan election |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals | |
| Method: | Partisan election |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Alabama Circuit Courts | |
| Method: | Partisan election |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Alabama District Courts | |
| Method: | Partisan election |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Alabama Probate Courts | |
| Method: | Partisan election |
| Term: | 6 years |
Judicial selection refers to the process used to select judges for courts. At the state level, methods of judicial selection vary substantially in the United States, and in some cases between different court types within a state. There are six primary types of judicial selection: partisan and nonpartisan elections, the Michigan method, assisted appointment, gubernatorial appointment, and legislative elections. To read more about how these selection methods are used across the country, click here.
This article covers how state court judges are selected in Alabama, including:
- Alabama Supreme Court,
- Alabama Court of Civil Appeals,
- Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals,
- Alabama Circuit Courts, and
- Limited jurisdiction courts
As of April 2025, judges for all courts in the state of Alabama, except the Alabama Municipal Courts, were selected through partisan elections. Municipal judges were selected by the governing body of their municipality.[2][3]
Click here to notify us of changes to judicial selection methods in this state.
| Appellate state court selection in the United States, by general selection method[4] |
|---|
|
|
| State courts and their selection methods across the U.S., including the District of Columbia[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Supreme Court (of 53)[5] | Courts of Appeal (of 46) | Trial Courts (of 147) |
| Partisan elections (PE) | 8 | 6 | 39 |
| Nonpartisan elections (NPE) | 13 | 16 | 34 |
| Legislative elections (LE) | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Gubernatorial appointment of judges (GA) | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Assisted appointment (AA) | 22 | 18 | 46 |
| Combination or other | 3[6] | 1[7] | 17[8] |
State profile
| Demographic data for Alabama | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 4,853,875 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 50,645 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 68.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 26.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.7% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 23.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $43,623 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 23.3% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Alabama. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Alabama
Alabama voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Alabama coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Alabama
- United States congressional delegations from Alabama
- Public policy in Alabama
- Endorsers in Alabama
- Alabama fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Judicial System, "Qualification of Judges," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alabama Judicial System, "Judicial System Chart," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," archived February 2, 2015
- ↑ Both Oklahoma and Texas have two state supreme courts: one for civil matters and one for criminal matters.
- ↑ Michigan and Ohio use nonpartisan general elections with candidates selected through partisan primaries or conventions. In the District of Columbia, judges are selected in the same manner as federal judges.
- ↑ Judges of the North Dakota Court of Appeals are appointed on an as-needed basis by the supreme court justices.
- ↑ Most courts that use combination/alternative methods (for example, mayoral appointment) are local level courts. These courts are often governed by selection guidelines that are unique to their specific region.
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
