According to the Alabama Political Reporter (APR), Senators Dick Brewbaker and Bill Hightower are offering constitutional amendments that would rein in the Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) and the Court of the Judiciary (COJ) in Alabama.

The JIC was created to investigate, receive, and initiate complaints leveled against sitting judges, and the COJ was formed to hear cases that the JIC felt needed additional arbitration. However, the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard 2014 corruption study lists Alabama as one of the highest-ranking states regarding legal and illegal corruption in the judicial branch.

The Alabama Political Reporter (APR) notes a case in point regarding how the JIC and COJ have dealt with Chief Justice Roy Moore, stating their actions “appear more politically motivated rather than interested in seeking justice.” Chief Justice Moore was given an unprecedented life-long suspension, based on his January 2016 Administrative Order. The APR points out that Chief Justice Moore asked that the case that underlies his motion be unsealed. Yet the Court has refused. In addition, the JIC hired the former legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to represent it, though the SPLC originally filed the complaints against Chief Justice Moore. In an apparent attempt to remove any personnel associated with the Chief Justice, Acting Justice Lyn Stuart terminated three of Moore’s staff attorneys and two additional employees of the Court. Stuart also demanded the Chief Justice remove all personal items from his office and she removed his name from the Supreme Court letterhead, despite the fact his case is still on appeal.

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