Editorials

In early April, just days before the candidate filing deadline, two members of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals announced they would be stepping down at the end of the current term.

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The pending departure of Judge H.W. "Bucky" McMillan and Judge Pam Baschab meant two seats on the five-member appellate court would be open at the start of the 2009 session.

A dozen candidates are on the June 3 primary ballots, seven Republicans and five Democrats. They are hoping to fill Place 1 or Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals. Starting next year, the base salary for a seat on this court will be $160,016.53. Judges with prior experience on the bench can earn more depending on their length of service.

The judicial elections are just a few of several races on Tuesday's ballot. Others include a Republican race for the presidency of the Public Service Commission and a Republican battle for District 3 on the State Board of Education. Ahead of Election Day, The Star's editorial board makes the following recommendations:

Place 1, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals: Four qualified candidates are seeking the GOP nomination. Peggy Givhan, Beth Kellum, Lucie McLemore and Teresa Petelos offer voters plenty of valid choices.

While each brings her own strengths to the campaign, Petelos stands out for her depth of experience. She's been a circuit court judge in Jefferson County for 14 years. For these reasons, The Star recommends Teresa Petelos as the Republican nominee for Place 1 on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Place 2, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals: Voters looking for rock-solid inspiration on this ballot may very well feel cheated. None of the candidates have donned the black robes of a judge.

The candidate who comes closest to the appellate court duty of reading court transcripts and writing opinions is Chris Mixon, who in the late 1990s and early 2000s worked on the staffs of two state Supreme Court judges. Since 2003 Mixon has worked in private practice with a Birmingham law firm.

The Star recommends Chris Mixon as the Republican nominee for Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

State Board of Education, District 3: The district stretches from its northernmost point in Cherokee County west to the Birmingham suburbs and south to a portion of Montgomery County.

The common denominator for public schools in the district and the required focus of the 3rd's representative is straightforward.

• Improve the basics of education, meaning to demand that he or she not rest until Alabama is at the top of the nation's educational rankings.

• Advocate for better schools, both the quality of what's taught and the sturdiness of the structure, meaning to ensure children learn in bricks-and-mortar classrooms and not trailers.

• Forcefully represent the specific needs of each district, meaning keeping a steady eye on public schooling in one's region.

• Act as a watchdog for a two-year system struggling to regain its credibility.

• On the opposite side of the coin, the district can do without a representative acting on narrow and intolerant views that distract from the business of educating children.

On these counts, one 3rd District candidate on the Republican primary ballot stands out in the positive. Skip Smithwick has served as a valuable trustee on the board of the Sylacauga City Schools. He has first-hand experience dealing with the issues of a local district.

Also, he and his family are committed to the values of public school. That stands in stark contrast to his Republican rival, the incumbent Stephanie Bell, whose children have attended private school.

Smithwick says he's visited almost every school district in the 3rd, listening to complaints and concerns at the grassroots. Such diligence is a welcomed ingredient to the job of a State Board of Education trustee.

The Star recommends Skip Smithwick in the Republican primary for District 3 of the State Board of Education.

Public Service Commission President: Jack Hornaday spent almost two decades as a staffer for the state's Public Service Commission. Since retirement, Hornaday has been a regular at PSC meetings. Before going to work at the PSC in the late 1970s, Hornaday spent time working for a utility company.

This rich experience leads the editorial board of The Star to recommend Jack Hornaday on the Republican primary ballot for the Public Service Commission presidency.

Place 1, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals: Steve Dodd, a staffer in the Alabama attorney general's office for more than two decades, would lend his considerable experience to the state Court of Criminal Appeals.

As a prosecutor, Dodd has vast experience arguing before the court upon which he now seeks a seat.

The Star recommends Steve Dodd as the Democratic nominee for Place 1 on the Court Criminal Appeals.

Place 2, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals: Jon Hayden's more than 17 years as a prosecutor is an asset in his bid for a seat on the bench.

Hayden, the son of a former circuit court judge, has seen the criminal justice system up close. He rightly sees the need for smarter methods for dealing with the scourge of increasing narcotics offenders.

The Star recommends Jon Hayden as the Democratic nominee for Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

U.S. Senate: Over more than 10 years in the Alabama Senate, Vivian Figures has been a fighter for the state's underdogs.

The Mobile resident's fight for the rights of women who have endured breast cancer is commendable. As is her struggle to clean the state's public spaces of tobacco smoke.

The Star's editorial board recommends Vivian Figures on the Democratic primary ballot for U.S. Senate.