Five things you need to know about Joseph Siegelman
Now that the runoff elections are over, voters are turning their attention to the November General Election only 106 days away. Democratic Attorney General candidate Joseph Siegelman beat his primary opponent Chris Christie in the June primary elections while Incumbent Attorney General and Republican candidate Steve Marshall was thrown into a runoff race. Marshall won his runoff election against Troy King last week with just over 62 percent of the vote; now Marshall will face Siegelman in the November General Election. The attorney general is responsible for representing the state in criminal and civil matters, and the office often is a stepping-stone to other positions. Just ask former Alabama attorney general and U.S. Senator, now-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Joseph Siegelman: 1. He’s the the son of former Gov. Don Siegelman. Siegelman’s father, former Gov. Don Siegelman was a dominating figure in state politics for years, but his career came to a close with a conviction on federal bribery charges. In 2016, Siegelman had filed a lawsuit seeking Department of Justice documents about his father’s prosecution. Ultimately nothing came of it and Don Siegelman was released in 2017, which was a year to the day that Joseph announced his candidacy, from a federal prison in Louisiana where he was serving a six-year sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice. 2. He received some big endorsements during the primary. Siegelman has been endorsed by the New South Alliance and equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter. 3. He would be a very young AG. If elected, Siegelman, 29, would only be 30 when he assumes office — a stark contrast to his Republican opponent, Steve Marshall who’s career has spanned over 30 years. 4. He’s the managing partner and with The Cochran Firm. Siegelman is the managing partner in The Cochran Firm – Birmingham office. There, his practice focuses primarily in the areas of personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice and mass tort litigation. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association and the Birmingham Bar Association and is admitted to practice in all Alabama State and Federal courts. 5. Roll Tide Roll. Siegelman obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama while completing part of his coursework at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England. He received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Alabama’s Honors College and Business Honors Program. He also received his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law. In law school, he twice represented the University of Alabama as an advocate on its National Trial Team and was awarded the George Peach Taylor Award for his outstanding trial advocacy.
Meet Christy Edwards, your presumptive, new Court of Civil Appeals, Place 1 Judge
In the race for Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Place 1, three candidates stepped up to the plate seeking election in the June 5 primary. Judge Christy Edwards and Judge Michelle Thomason both garnered enough support to tip the race into a runoff election in which Edwards took home 54 percent of the vote. Now, facing no Democratic challenger in the November general election, Edwards has presumably won her race and will become Court of Civil Appeals Place 1 Judge in 2019. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Christy Edwards: 1. She’s a judge on the Alabama Tax Court. In 2016 Edwards was appointed to the Alabama Tax Tribunal where she currently serves as a Judge. According to her campaign website, she wants to bring her knowledge of tax laws to bear on the appeals process. “Everyone has to pay taxes – businesses, business owners, consumers and regular people,” Edwards said. “The businesses and the people of this state need a judge who will oversee the tax laws and protect the taxpayers according to all the laws overseen by this court. I will do that.” 2. She’s an award-winning writer and orator. In law school Edwards was the Regional Champion of the American Bar Association’s appellate advocacy competition, Regional Champion and national quarter finalist of the National Best Brief competition, and was named Jones Law School Best Oral Advocate. Her most recent articles have been published in the Journal of Multi-State Taxation and Incentives. 3. She was endorsed by primary opponent Pat Thetford. Primary opponent Pat Thetford endorsed Edwards, saying he believed she is the best candidate for the job and urged his supporters to vote for her in the runoff election. 4. She has two degrees from Alabama. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Alabama, Edwards earned her Juris Doctorate from Faulkner University Jones School of Law and an LL.M. from the University of Alabama School of Law with a focus on complex state tax laws. 5. She previously served as an Assistant Attorney General. Edwards practiced family and commercial and civil litigation in her own private practice for 2 years after law school. She then was appointed to serve as an attorney for the court of civil appeals before becoming an Assistant Attorney General under then Attorney General Luther Strange in 2011. There, she represented the state in state and local tax disputes in the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Democrats Chris Christie, Joseph Siegelman face off in attorney general primary
Voters in Alabama’s Democratic primary for attorney general will choose between a political newcomer with decades of legal experience and the son of a former governor who wants people to judge him on his own merits. The two attorneys, Chris Christie and Joseph Siegelman, are at different stages of their legal careers but making their first runs for public office. They face off Tuesday for a chance to meet the winner of the Republican primary, where Attorney General Steve Marshall faces three challengers. Both Democratic candidates say the office of attorney general should concentrate more on consumer protection but has been distracted by side issues under past leadership. “People in Alabama need to have someone in Montgomery who is going to look out after their interests,” said Christie, 59. Siegelman, 29, said the attorney general’s office needs to focus more on people than politics. “I believe that we have lost focus on the people of Alabama, the issues that affect them and how we can use that office to assist the people of Alabama and make their lives better,” he said. His priorities include consumer protection, fighting the opioid addiction epidemic and advocating for a criminal justice reform that doesn’t warehouse the mentally ill in state prisons. Siegelman said that although people might be familiar with his last name, he wants them to get to know him. “I’m proud to my father’s son. I’m proud to be my mother’s son, but I want to make sure people get to know Joe. My dad’s not in this race,” he said. Siegelman’s father, former Gov. Don Siegelman was a dominating figure in state politics for years, but his career came to a close with a conviction on federal bribery charges. The younger Siegelman is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law and joined the Cochran Firm practice, where his work included civil rights issues. He also joined his father’s appellate legal team, occasionally speaking to the press on his father’s behalf as the elder Siegelman fought to overturn the conviction. Christie is emphasizing his more than 30 years of legal experience, and says his priorities are fighting corruption and promoting consumer protection and public safety. He said the state needs to have an attorney general willing to fight corruption — on both sides of the political aisle. “My objective is not to put as many government officials in jail as possible. My objective is to have compliance with the law. … For those that don’t, there are going to be consequences,” Christie said. Christie wants to seek changes in the ethics law. He is critical of the ability of “dark money” — money from undisclosed donors — to flow into nonprofit foundations connected to politicians. Christie is a graduate of Duke University School of Law and had been a partner with the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. In his law practice, he has represented pension plans, including the Retirement System of Alabama and health care providers. His notable cases include a $16 million settlement for state employees in a lawsuit over a deferred compensation plan after discovering the investment firm that got the business had been paying millions to the employees’ lobbying group. The Alabama Democratic Conference has endorsed Christie in the race. Siegelman has been endorsed by the New South Alliance and equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter. The primary has become notable for its matchup of famous names. Christie is no relation to the former New Jersey governor by the same name, but humorously notes that the coincidence has garnered him much news coverage in the Garden State. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
New attorney appointed to hear Roy Moore ethics case
Last week, John V. Denson II an attorney and member of the Alabama Court of the Judiciary, recused himself from hearing an ethics case involving Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Stepping in to fill the void is Fort Payne attorney W.N. “Rocky” Watson. A University of Alabama School of Law class of 1974 alum, Watson is now a name partner at the law firm Watson and Neely LLC in Fort Payne, Ala. He has a long history with the Alabama State Bar Association where he currently serves as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Commission. Chief Judge Michael Joiner appointed Watson after Denson recused himself from the case in order to promote public confidence in the court and avoid the appearance of impropriety. A hearing for Moore’s federal lawsuit is set for Aug. 4.
