Constables: who they are, and what they do
Only 24 counties, out of the 67 in Alabama, have constables. But who are they, and what do they do? The Code of Alabama defines constables as an elected or appointed “conservator of the peace within his county,” and according to the Alabama Constables Association, they are one of the only two remaining elected peace officers in the world. Their duties include: attending the circuit court of the county when summoned by the sheriff for that purpose; executing and returning all summons, executions and other process directed to him by any lawful authority; paying over moneys collected by virtue of his office to the person entitled thereto performing such other duties as are or may be required of him by law Constables are also permitted to carry a gun, are authorized to make arrests, stop and question, search for dangerous weapons, escort weddings and funerals, and enforce traffic at churches and schools. Although not permitted to write a traffic ticket, they can also pull over vehicles who disobey traffic laws. According to a 2015 AL.com article, the qualifications to become a constable are very few. “You must be a citizen of the county you’re running in, have no criminal record, and be old enough to carry a firearm.” The report continues to name the counties have constables including: Barbour, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Dallas, Dekalb, Elmore, Etowah, Franklin, Green, Jackson, Jefferson, Marengo, Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, Wilcox and Winston. Tallapoosa County will only have constables until 2020, after which they will be abolished according a court ruling in April of this year.
Alabama worried Florida, Georgia water settlement could impact its rivers
Water wars between Florida and Georgia are heating up again over the directive by a U.S. Supreme Court special master ordering the states to reach a settlement that could have a substantial impact on Alabama rivers As reported by POLITICO Florida’s Bruce Ritchie, Alabama is questioning a directive by special master Ralph Lancaster asking Florida and Georgia to settle its long-running water dispute, particularly over the suggestion the two states consider getting water from other sources during times of drought. The debate between Florida and Georgia began in 2013 after the devastation of the Apalachicola Bay oyster bed, leading Florida to request the U. S. Supreme Court to intervene by placing a limit on Georgia’s water consumption. Ritchie writes that Alabama, in a letter to the court last week, expressed concern that those “other sources” – particularly “the importation of water from outside the ACF (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River) Basin” – include water from rivers flowing from Alabama into Georgia, such as the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. Alabama has not been named in the case since Florida, and the court, acknowledged the only issue at hand is with Georgia’s water consumption. However, Ritchie notes that Alabama feels that if water transfers are included in a settlement, the state would be forced to join the action. Also, Alabama argues that the court does not have authority to order water transfers from areas other than the ACF system. Birmingham Attorney John C. Neiman Jr., representing Alabama, wrote in a letter to Lancaster: “If the court contemplates a decree authorizing transfers from interstate river basins flowing into Alabama as a result of settlement discussions or otherwise, Alabama would respectfully request that it first receive notice of that possibility and be given the opportunity to assert its interests in an appropriate way. “To this end, Alabama is willing to participate in any negotiations between Florida and Georgia that address this issue, and will separately ask Florida and Georgia to include Alabama in any such negotiations,” Neiman concluded.
