Terri Willingham Thomas
Terri Willingham Thomas (Republican Party) was a judge of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. She assumed office in 2007. She left office in 2019.
Thomas (Republican Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. She lost in the Republican primary on June 5, 2018.
Education
Thomas earned undergraduate degrees from Athens State University and Wallace State Community College and her J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law.[1]
Career
Upon graduation from law school, Thomas practiced law in Cullman County. Prior to joining the court of civil appeals, Thomas sat as a district court judge in Cullman County beginning in 1996. She was the first woman to serve as a district court judge in Cullman County. She was also the first resident of Cullman County to serve on a state court in 34 years.[2]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
Chad Hanson won election in the general election for Alabama Court of Civil Appeals on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chad Hanson (R) | 97.0 | 1,081,480 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.0 | 33,277 | ||
| Total votes: 1,114,757 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
Chad Hanson defeated incumbent Terri Willingham Thomas in the Republican primary for Alabama Court of Civil Appeals on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chad Hanson | 53.2 | 214,613 |
 | Terri Willingham Thomas | 46.8 | 188,982 | |
| Total votes: 403,595 | |||
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Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
All judges on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals are elected for six-year terms in partisan elections.[3]
There are five judges on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and five on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Vacancies, which can occur when a judge dies, resigns, retires or is removed from office, are filled through appointments by the governor of Alabama. Any judge appointed in this fashion must then stand for election in the next general election occurring at least one year after taking office.[4]
Qualifications
To be considered a candidate for either court, the person must:
- Be licensed to practice law in Alabama.
- Have lived in Alabama for at least one year.
- Be 70 years of age or younger at the time of candidacy.[5]
Selection of the chief judge
In the civil appeals court, the chief is chosen by seniority; in the criminal appeals court, the chief is chosen by peer vote. Both courts maintain their chief judges for indefinite terms.[4]
2012
- See also: Alabama judicial elections, 2012
Thomas was re-elected after running unopposed in 2012.[6]
2006
In her 2006 campaign for the court, Thomas ran against Democratic candidate Jim McFerrin. Thomas won 620,940 votes versus 525,491 votes for Thomas.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Alabama Judicial System Online biography of Terri Willingham Thomas
- ↑ Cullman Times, "Thomas wins bid for bench," July 19, 2006
- ↑ Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Qualifications of Judges," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Alabama Appellate Courts," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "2012 General Election Sample Ballot," accessed August 24, 2015
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Certified 2006 General Election Results," November 29, 2006
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Civil Appeals Judges |
Terry A. Moore • Matt Fridy • Bill Lewis • Christy Olinger Edwards • Chad Hanson • | ||
| Court of Criminal Appeals Judges | Mary Windom • J. Elizabeth Kellum • J. William Cole • Richard Minor • | ||
| Former |
Sue Bell Cobb • Glenn Murdock • Greg Shaw • Kelli Wise • Pamela Willis Baschab • Bucky McMillan • Tommy Bryan • Scott Donaldson (Alabama) • James Allen Main • | ||
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
