Alabama’s 2 remaining Obama-era U.S. attorneys resign
The two remaining Obama-era federal prosecutors in Alabama are stepping down. U.S. Attorneys George Beck Jr. of Wetumpka and Kenyen Brown of Mobile both made announcements following Attorney General Jeff Sessions‘ Friday request that all remaining federal prosecutors appointed by former President Barack Obama step down. There are 93 U.S. attorneys in the United States. 46 of them, including Beck and Brown, were asked to resign immediately “in order to ensure a uniform transition,” said Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores. Such requests aren’t unusual for a new presidential administration, especially when of a differing political party as U.S. attorneys are political appointees. “Until the new U.S. attorneys are confirmed, the dedicated career prosecutors in our U.S. attorney’s offices will continue the great work of the department in investigating, prosecuting and deterring the most violent offenders,” Flores said in a statement. According to a press release, Beck plans on joining the private law firm Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles, and Nelson, and will continue to represent clients in the Montgomery River Region area. Brown, the first African American U.S. Attorney in Alabama, has yet to comment publicly on leaving his post and what he will do next. Brown is being replaced on interim basis by his top assistant, Steve Butler. The Trump Administration will likely nominate new prosecutors for both of those positions. U.S. attorney offices handle federal crimes, including public corruption, firearms, terrorism, child exploitation and terrorism cases, in their respective districts. They also defend the United States in civil cases.
Feds say state judges must obey U.S. Supreme Court decision
Federal prosecutors in Alabama say the state’s probate judges must obey the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage regardless of an administrative order issued by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. Moore said Wednesday that the Alabama Supreme Court never lifted a March directive to probate judges to refuse licenses to gay couples. He said the order to refuse the licenses remains in “full force.” U.S. Attorneys Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama and Kenyen Brown of the Southern District of Alabama issued a statement saying they have “grave concerns” about Moore’s administrative order. Vance and Brown say the issue was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court last year and while government officials are free to disagree with the law, they can’t disobey it. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
