Compiled by William C. Singleton III
Voters in Jefferson County, as well as across the state, will get their chance to select candidates on primary election day, Tuesday, June 5, when a host of seats—for U.S. Congress, governor, legislative seats, county offices, local judgeships—will be on the ballot.
Depending on the June 5 outcome, some candidates could be forced into a primary runoff, scheduled for July 17, to determine the respective party nominee. The general election, during which party nominees and independent or third-party candidates face each other for the final decision by voters, is set for Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Here’s a listing of some candidates on the June 5 ballot.
JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSION
The Jefferson County Commission is a five-member group granted legislative and executive duties for Jefferson County. The commissioners, formerly elected at-large, are now elected by district to four year terms. Each commissioner, in addition to representing his or her district, is given charge of a department of the county for administration. The commission elects its own president, who chairs commission meetings.
DISTRICT 1
Democrats
Commission District 1 covers parts of Birmingham, Center Point, Forestdale, Adamsville, Fairfield and Midfield.
GEORGE F. BOWMAN SR. 
Incumbent Bowman is seeking re-election to his third term. Bowman, who was first appointed in 2007, won re-election to the county commission in 2010 and 2014. Bowman’s area of responsibility on the commission is chair of the Health and General Services Committee. During his tenure on the commission, Bowman said he has prided himself on fighting for Cooper Green Mercy Health Services and protecting the county’s indigent care services and keeping sewer rates reasonable. Bowman, a Center Point resident, has had a distinguished military career that spans 34 years and included promotions to U.S. Army Brigadier General and Major General. Following his retirement in 2005, Bowman served as Strategic Planner for the National Museum of the United States Army and as branch manager for Liberty National Life Insurance Company in Birmingham. Bowman graduated from South Carolina State in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and earned his master’s degree in Public Management in 1985 from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. He is past president of the Alabama Association of Black County Officials and a deacon at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
ERIC MAJOR 
Former state legislator Major served as a State Representative for District 55 from 1998 to 2006. The Fairfield resident is currently a government relations and business development consultant for Global Development Group Consulting and is owner of Absolute, Inc. Major said he has a plan to eliminate high sewer bills and wants to expand healthcare services and increase job training programs, among other goals. Major earned an associate degree in Political Science from Jefferson State Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a member of Alabama Charity Association, Alabama Minority Health Institute and founder of ONE BIRMINGHAM Civic Action Group. He is also a member of Faith Chapel Christian Center.
GARY RICHARDSON 
Richardson has served four terms as mayor of Midfield, having been elected in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Richardson is president and chief executive officer of Richardson Broadcasting Corp. He owns radio stations in Jasper and Birmingham. Richardson is host of “Morning Talk with Gary Richardson” on WJLD 1400 AM. Richardson earned associate degrees in Mass Communications and Electronic Engineering Technology from Jefferson State Community College in 1980, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Faulkner University in 1991 and a Master in Education degree from Alabama Agriculture & Mechanical University in 2002. Among his civic responsibilities, Richardson is president of the board of directors for Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity (JCCEO), president of the National Business of Alabama, president of Jefferson County EMA Council and past president of Jefferson County Mayors Association. He currently serves as a park commissioner on the Red Mountain Park Commission.
LASHUNDA SCALES 
Birmingham City Councilwoman Scales is a three-term city council woman who was first elected in 2009 to represent the east Birmingham area and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. She currently serves as chair of the council’s Governmental Affairs Committee and sits on the council’s Transportation and Communication and Economic Development committees. As chair of Economic Development Committee in her first term, Scales developed the Annual Neighborhood Small Business Economic Development Summits. She is founder and owner of Scales PR Marketing Firm Inc. Scales received her Associate’s Degree in Applied Science/Broadcast Journalism, from Jefferson State Community College in 2005, completed Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s 21st Century Leadership curriculum in 2015 and Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Leading Economic Growth curriculum in 2016. She is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Birmingham. Scales has frequently served on the National Urban League’s community advocacy symposium as an expert panelist during the “Essence Festival Empowerment Experience.”
Facebook: Lashunda Scales She Works
Commission District 2 covers parts of Birmingham, most of Bessemer, Lipscomb, Brighton, the Oxmoor Valley, and West Homewood.
DISTRICT 2
Democrats
SANDRA LITTLE BROWN 
Incumbent Brown is seeking her third term as the Democratic representative for District 2. Brown was elected to the commission in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. She is serving her second term as president pro tempore, the first black woman to hold the position. Brown also chairs Community and Human Resource Services. Prior to her tenure on the commission, Brown served as a Birmingham City Council member from 1997 to 2001. While on the council, she chaired the Birmingham Parks and Recreation and Culture Arts committees and the Birmingham Regional Arts Commission. She also led efforts to get a new fire station built in Roosevelt City. Brown was educated in the Birmingham Public school system and attended Lawson State Community College. Brown is a member of Order of Eastern Star, a graduate of Leadership Birmingham’s Class of 2000, a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of County Commissions of Alabama and a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Brown has been a businesswoman for more than 20 years and owns JJs T-Shirts and Team World.
RICHARD A. DICKERSON 
Political and media consultant Dickerson is president of RAD Communications, LLC, a public relations and government relations lobbying firm. He has more than 25 years of experience in government, media, public affairs and political campaigns. Dickerson served as a senior official in the Clinton Administration and was senior director for Strategic Communications for U.S. Agency for International Development in Afghanistan. In that role, he helped develop and implement a media communications plan that helped the U.S. and Afghan government, military and religious leaders to deliver their message effectively. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History-Political Science from Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia in 1978. He is active with the Highland Park Neighborhood Committee and volunteers in Birmingham city schools.
www.dickersonforcommissioner.org
Facebook: dickersonforcommissioner
SHEILA TYSON 
Birmingham City Councilwoman Tyson was first elected to the Birmingham City Council in 2013 then re-elected in 2017. She represents Council District 6 – which includes west Birmingham – and serves as chair of the council’s Public Improvements and Beautification Committee and is a member of the Public Safety and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts committees. Tyson graduated from West End High School then joined the U.S. Army. While in the Army, she studied business and accounting at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School. In her role as founder and executive director of Friends of West End, Tyson partnered with the University of Birmingham at Alabama to research how to effectively address environmental and health issues in Birmingham. As councilwoman she has also work to pass legislation that created the Birmingham Land Bank Authority to address abandoned home and vacant lots through the city. Tyson is former president of the West End Neighborhood and the Birmingham Citizens Advisory Board. She also is a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Neighborhood USA, Birmingham Board of Education Executive Community and UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research.
JEFFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF
The Jefferson County Sheriff is charged chiefly with preserving the peace by enforcing the laws of the state, executing orders of the courts and keeping a jail.
Democrats
WALLACE ANGER 
Anger, a veteran Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputy, has been a law enforcement official for 36 years, serving with the Birmingham Police Department for 20 before joining the County Sheriff’s Department. Wallace graduated from Abrams High School in Bessemer and attended Lawson State Community College and Miles College, where he received a degree in Business Administration.
wallaceanger4sheriff@gmail.com
HEATH BOACKLE 
Boackle, a veteran Birmingham police supervisor, graduated from the Birmingham Police Academy in 1997 and has spent more than 20 years with the Birmingham Police Department. While with Birmingham PD, Boackle has held several positions including patrol officer, lead detective sergeant, sergeant SRT K-9 and detective. He is currently the SRT K-9 Supervisor for the Birmingham Police Department. Boackle served as lead detective sergeant for the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force investing several high-risk cases and serves as president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1. Boackle said he’s running on three primary principles, “community service and leadership.” His father, mother and step-mother were Birmingham police officers. Boackle graduated from Huffman High School Class of 1994 and is a graduate of the University of Birmingham at Alabama.
WILSON HALE JR. 
Hale joined the U.S. Army in 1984 before he graduated from McAdory High School in 1985. In 1988, Hale joined Alabama State Troopers as a cadet. During his tenure with the state troopers, Hale served as acting post Commander, acting sergeant and acting corporal, according to his website. In the Army, he advised his commander on unit mission and training, and coordinated and supervised humanitarian assistance and supervised operational medical, logistical and administrative support for troop deployment. He has received numerous awards during his law enforcement career, including the Alabama State Trooper of the Year 1997. He retired from the Army in 2008 and the State Troopers in 2018.
MARK PETTWAY 
A Jefferson County Sheriff Detective Sergeant, Pettway currently serves as a certified instructor at the Jefferson County Sheriff Apost Training Academy, where he teaches cyber-crime and ID theft. Pettway began his career in law enforcement in 1991 with the Birmingham Police Department, where he served as a correctional specialist. He joined the Fairfield Police Department in 1993 then the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy in 1999. He served as Federal Screening Manager with TSA supervising check points at the Birmingham International Airport. In 2013 Pettway was promoted to detective sergeant where he investigated crimes of burglary, theft and fraud. Pettway received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree from Faulkner University in 1991. He is a former member of the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association and Big Brother Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham. Pettway is also founder of Abundant Life Music Ministry, Inc.
Facebook: Pettway4Sheriff
JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BIRMINGHAM DIVISION
The primary duty of the District Attorney’s Office is to prosecute all indictable offenses and to prosecute and defend any civil action in which the state is interested.
Democrats
DANNY CARR 
Jefferson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Carr served as interim DA last year until Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Mike Anderton to the position. Carr has been with the District Attorney’s Office for 15 years. Since he started with the office, he has handled thousands of cases. He has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Most Influential Males in Birmingham and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Birmingham. He has received the Community Policing Revitalization and Commitment to Excellence Award and the NAACP’s Outstanding African American Award in the area of law. Carr received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Alabama State University in 1996 and a law degree from Miles Law School in 2000. He serves on boards for the YMCA Western Area, Maranatha Academy, Children’s Village and Prescott House.
Facebook: votedannycarr
RAYMOND L. JOHNSON JR. 
Attorney Johnson is shareholder of The Johnson Law Firm, LLC, which specializes in criminal defense law and represents clients charged with complex criminal law cases. Johnson, a former U.S. Assistant Attorney, was previously a partner and shareholder with Thomas, Means, Gillis & Seay, P.C. from 2000 to 2004 and was part of a defense team that represented former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy in his criminal, civil and SEC cases. He serves as an adjunct professor of law at Cumberland School of Law and Miles Law School. Johnson received his Bachelor’s degree from Howard University in 1972 and a law degree from Howard University School of Law in 1976. He is also a graduate of Leadership Birmingham Class of 1997. Johnson has served as a member to numerous professional and civic organizations, including the National Bar Association, American Bar Association and Magic City Bar Association, where he served as former board president. He is also a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Alabama Lawyers Association and Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. Fraternity, Johnson is former board president for YMBC Civic Forum and former president of the NAACP Los Angeles branch.
Facebook: Raymond L. Johnson, Jr. for Jefferson County District Attorney
Twitter @rjohnsonjr
Republicans
MIKE ANDERTON 
Incumbent Mike Anderton was appointed to his current position in 2017 by Gov. Kay Ivey to serve the remainder of the former term of D.A. Charles Todd Henderson who was removed from office. Anderton began as an assistant district attorney in Alexander City from 1982 to 1984. He then joined the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in 1984. He served with the original 1991 Vertical Prosecution Unit, which addresses the special needs of families touched by homicides, child sexual abuse and physical abuse. In 1987 he became Division Chief with responsibility over Circuit, District and Family Courts. Anderton graduated from Auburn University then received his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in 1982. He is a member of VOCAL (Victims Of Crime And Leniency), the Alabama Bar and Birmingham Bar Associations, the National and Alabama District Attorneys Associations, and past Board President of the Alabama Center for Law and Civic Education. Anderton is a member of St. Francis Xavier Church, where he serves on the Church Rebuilding Committee.
Facebook: AndertonForDA
BILL VEITCH 
Veitch is a veteran of the Bessemer Cutoff District Attorney’s Office who served 14 years as Chief Assistant District Attorney until Gov. Robert Bentley in January 2016 appointed him District Attorney to replace Arthur Green, who retired after 18 years in office. Before joining the District Attorney’s office, Veitch managed a private law practice for 20 years and worked as a Birmingham police officer while he obtained his law degree from the Birmingham School of Law. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and is a graduate of McAdory High School Class of 1969. Veitch served as a member and president of the Hoover City School Board from 2002 to 2012 and also served as president of Bessemer’s Children’s Advocacy Center, an organization that counsels children and families of domestic abuse.
JEFFERSON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, 10TH CIRCUIT
The Tenth Judicial Circuit of the Alabama State Court system consists of the Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions. Circuit courts have general jurisdiction over all criminal matters involving felony prosecutions. Circuit courts may also exercise jurisdiction over legal matters filed in Alabama’s district and juvenile courts, and in matters where the amount in controversy exceeds $3,000. Circuit courts have exclusive jurisdiction over matters where the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000.
PLACE 8
Democrats
MARSHELL JACKSON HATCHER 
Hatcher, entering her first political race, has her own law practice and is an adjunct professor at Miles Law School. Hatcher also served as legislative analyst with the Alabama Law Institute, associate counsel for the Birmingham Housing Authority and interim executive director for the Birmingham Housing Authority. Her memberships include the Alabama State Bar, the Birmingham Bar, Magic City Bar and American Bar Associations, Alabama Lawyers Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Omicron Omega Chapter. Hatcher graduated from Jackson-Olin High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University and a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law.
marshelljacksonhatcherforjudge@gmail.com
BRIAN PLANT 
Plant first ran for the Trussville City Council in 2000 and was re-elected four consecutive times. Plant also worked as a law clerk for renowned Birmingham criminal attorney David Cromwell Johnson from 1991 to 1994. Plant received a Bachelor’s degree from Samford University in 1989 and a law degree from Birmingham School of Law in 1994. Plant is a member of the Trussville Historical Board, the Trussville Chamber of Commerce and the council’s Public Safety Committee. He’s also a member of Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church Columbarium Committee, the Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree and a former member of Daybreak Rotary Club and member of the Board of Directors for St. Vincent’s Foundation.
Facebook: PlantforJudge
PLACE 15
Democrats
PATRICIA STEPHENS 
Incumbent Stephens has served as a domestic relations judge since 2013 and is now the Presiding Judge in the domestic relations court. Previously, she worked as a Deputy District Attorney with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2009 and with a private law firm from 2010 to 2013. Stephens ran for the Circuit Judge seat in 2010 before winning the November 2012 race. She serves on the Village Creek Human and Environmental Executive Board and is a member of Parents Against Violence, the Optimist Club of Birmingham and the National Congress of Black Women. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar, the Birmingham Bar, Magic City Bar Associations, and the Birmingham Inns of Court. She owns a Bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a law degree from Miles School of Law.
campaigntoreelectstephens@gmail.com
DAMON T. WATSON 
Watson is an attorney who specializes in family and criminal law and spends much of his time performing pro bono work and holding legal clinics, he said. Watson is a member of the U.S. Army and Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. Omicron Lambda Chapter. Watson, a resident of Birmingham’s South Titusville community,
received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and a law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
www.electdamonwatsondomesticjudge.com
PLACE 16
Democrats
“PETE” JOHNSON DAVIS 
Davis is a partner in Davis & Scruggs Attorneys and has 22 years of experience as a criminal and civil trial lawyer. He is a former administrative law judge for the Jefferson County Personnel Board. He serves as an associate justice on the Judiciary Board for Church of God in Christ, Inc., a member of the Board of Directors for All Saints Bible College in Memphis, a former vice chairman and member of the Board of Directors for Urban Impact, Inc. and an associate elder at Emanuel Temple Church of God in Christ. He is a former criminal justice instructor for Virginia College and a former correctional specialist with the Birmingham Police Department. Davis received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree in 1986 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 1994.
Facebook: petejohnsondavis
LINDA HALL 
Hall has been in private practice since 1998 and has handled bankruptcy, civil, criminal and domestic relations cases. She studied at Faulkner University then received her Bachelor’s degree at University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1983. She received her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 1992. Hall has served on the Birmingham Bar Association’s Civil and Domestic Program and as legal counsel for the Committee to Protect the Homeless. She is a former member of the Homewood Rotary Club and Vulcan Kiwanis and board member of the Epilepsy Foundation.
RUSS PARKER
Efforts to reach Parker were unsuccessful
PLACE 18
Democrats
RAYMOND P. CHAMBLISS 
Chambliss has served in Family Court since 2012. Prior to Family Court, Chambliss spent 16 years serving as Municipal Court Judge for the City of Birmingham, eight of those as presiding judge. He served as a referee at Family Court – an appointed judicial position – and as Deputy District Attorney and a Legal Aid defense attorney in Family Court. Chambliss attended Morehouse College from 1968 to 1970 then the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he received a Bachelor’s degree. He graduated from Miles College Law School in 1983. Among the organizations and institutions he’s served as a board member include Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity, the YMCA, and Miles College Board of Trustee. He now serves as chair of the Children’s Policy Council.
Facebook: Re-Elect Judge Raymond Pearson Chambliss for Family Court
JANINE HUNT-HILLIARD 
Hunt-Hilliard is managing member of The Hunt-Hilliard Law Firm LLC, where she specializes in family law. In the past four years, Hunt-Hilliard has served as Special Circuit Judge and Special District Judge in Family Court. Trying hundreds of cases have given her an insight on how to apply the law and rule with fairness, she said. Hunt-Hilliard was a managing member with Hilliard, Smith & Hunt from 2000 to 2010. Hunt-Hilliard served as a judicial assistant in the State of Alabama Administrative Office of Courts from 2013 to 2014. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1992 from the University of Delaware and a law degree from Howard University School of Law in 1996. She also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Howard University School of Business in 1997.
PLACE 27
Democrats
AMBER LADNER 
Ladner has 15 years as a criminal defense and divorce attorney who handles are range of family law matters such as alimony, child custody and divorce modification cases. She is a municipal judge for the City of Adamsville and serves as Special Judge in the Jefferson County District Criminal Court. She has served as an appeals prosecutor for the City of Kimberly. Ladner is immediate past president of the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and past president of the Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyer Association. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar and Birmingham Bar Associations, the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and the Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Ladner graduated from William Carey College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Social Science and earned her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law. She’s also a member of the National Criminal Defense College Class of 2000
ALARIC MAY 
May manages his own law firm and has been practicing law for more than 20 years. He serves as an appointed Special Circuit Court Judge and District Court Judge; has served as a Judge Pro Tem for the City of Birmingham as a full-time Interim Judge for Birmingham and a Judge Pro Tem for the cities of Adamsville and Homewood. May received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1992 and a law degree from the University of Florida in 1995. May is a member of the Georgia Bar, Alabama Bar, National Bar and the Birmingham Bar Associations and also served on the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee.
Facebook: campaigntoelectalaricmay
PROBATE JUDGE
Probate courts have jurisdiction over matters dealing with wills, estates, real property, mental illness, and adoption.
Place 1
Democrats
ALAN KING 
King is seeking his third term as Place 1 Probate Court Judge. King was elected as Place 1 Judge in 2006 and won re-election in 2012. He now sits as presiding judge and serves as the chief election officer for Jefferson County. He has conducted more than 40,000 hearings in his career. King was selected by Donald Trump to serve on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, a 15-member commission that investigated voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election. King had 18 years in private practice prior to becoming a judge. He is a 1974 graduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree. He received his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1982 and earned a Master’s in Public and Private Management from Birmingham Southern College, which he received in 1997. King is a member of the Alabama Bar and Bessemer Bar Associations and Birmingham Bar Association, where he founded the Probate Section in 2011. He also served as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer for the Alabama Probate Judges Association. King has received the National Alliance on Mental Illness State of Alabama Judicial Award in 2006 and the Metro Birmingham NAACP Lifetime Achievement in Law Award in 2017.
Facebook: judgealanking
EVERETT W. WESS 
Wess has been managing partner of Wess Law Firm, P.C. for 17 years and is currently Midfield municipal judge. He served as a prosecutor for the City of Midfield and serves as a public defender for the City of Irondale. Wess has also been appointed as a Special Circuit Court and District Court Judge in Jefferson County. He turned to law after a career as a computer consultant and analyst. He developed and maintained software for U.S. Army missile systems and N.A.S.A. mission operations in Huntsville. Wess received a degree in Music Education from Selma University Junior College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science/Mathematics from Alabama Agriculture & Mechanical University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Alabama Agriculture & Mechanical. He earned a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law. He is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, where he has served as chair of Community Education and Criminal Justice Section and as an executive board member; the Magic City Bar Association; the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyer Association, where he served as president from 2011-2012.
PLACE 2
Democrats
WILLIE FLORENCE SR. 
Florence has more than 17 years of experience practicing law in the county probate court system. Florence has served as Pro Tempore in Birmingham Municipal Court. Florence received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Miles College in 1980, a Master of Ministry degree from Birmingham Theological Seminary in 1994 and a law degree from Birmingham School of Law in 1995. Florence has served as an Honorary Public Service Commissioner and as Board of Directors for the Birmingham Bar Association Solo Practitioner’s Division, where he served as chair from 2005-2006. He was appointed by the Birmingham Bar Association as Municipal Court Liaison with Municipal Court Judges and elected to the Executive Board of Young Lawyers. He also served as chair to the City of Birmingham’s Commercial Development Authority 2009 to 2013.
Facebook: Willie Cut Through The Red Tape Florence for Probate Judge Place 2
SHERRI C. FRIDAY 
Incumbent Probate Judge Sherri Friday is seeking her third term as the Democratic representative for the Place 2 seat. Friday was elected to the Place 2 seat in 2006 and re-elected 2012. She holds dockets in both the Birmingham and Bessemer courts. Friday came to the bench with 18 years of experience practicing law. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1985 and earned her law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1989. Friday is a member of the Alabama Bar and Birmingham Bar Associations, the Alabama Probate Judges Association, and the National College of Probate Judges. She has served as a member on the Service Guild of Birmingham, Heart Gallery of Alabama Board of Directors, Kiwanis Club of Birmingham and Inns of Court. She received the State of Alabama NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Judicial Award in 2010 and completed the Law for Probate Judges Course in 2010 at the University of Alabama Law Center through the Alabama Law Institute.
Facebook: judgesherrifriday
JAMERIA MOORE 
Moore is an attorney with Sperling & Moore, P.C. She has been practicing law for 12 years. Her primary focus is family, real estate, criminal and probate law. Before she went into law, Moore worked as an engineer with the Alabama Department of Transportation, Butler Manufacturing, BE&K Engineering and James River Corporation. Moore received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Alabama Agriculture & Mechanical University in 1990, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2000 and a law degree from Birmingham School of Law in 2006. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Upsilon Eta Omega Chapter and a member of Hopewell Baptist Church in North Birmingham. She is a volunteer speaker for the United Way of Central Alabama and served as past president of the Board of Directors for Park West Athletic Association.
CIRCUIT CLERK, JEFFERSON COUNTY
The Circuit Clerk is the chief administrative and fiscal officer for the court system and has a six-year term. Circuit Clerks must be available to perform their duties for the filing of court documents 24 hours a day. Fiscal responsibilities include the management of all court monies requiring banking and fiscal knowledge. Administrative responsibilities include personnel management, court planning, and purchasing and inventory control.
Democrats
SARAH E. “SARAH BETH” CONKLE 
Conkle is a paralegal and trial coordinator with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. She also served in that same position with the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2009. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Women’s Studies from Auburn University in 2004 and received her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 2014. She’s also a graduate of the Birmingham Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy. Conkle served as secretary for the Mobile County Domestic Violence Task Force and as Public Relations Officer for the Murphy High School Alumni Association. She also served as a Group Leader for Camp APAC (Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connections) and attends Grace Episcopal Church in Woodlawn.
conkleforcircuitclerk@gmail.com
Facebook @ Sarah Beth Conkle for Jefferson County Circuit Clerk
CHERI ADAMS GARDNER 
Gardner, current Birmingham City School president, has twice been elected to the city school board – in 2013 and 2017. Gardner is former vice president of AmSouth Bank, an exclusive agent with All State Insurance and a licensed director with Smith & Gaston Funeral Home. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Spelman College in 1983, received Banking Management Executive Certification from LSU’s Graduate School of Banking in 1993 and earned a law degree from Miles Law School in 2005. Gardner is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a member of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
VENETTA LEE 
Lee currently serves in the Circuit Clerk’s Office. As a Magistrate, she issues warrants for law enforcement agencies and local residents. Before she joined the Clerk’s Office, Lee was a business owner for 12 years. Lee graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services Management. Lee said her leadership and business management skills will help her guide the Clerk’s Office with efficiency and effectiveness.
STEPHANIE J. MUHAMMAD 
Stephanie Muhammad has served as administrative clerk in the District Attorney’s Office since 2010. Though a Birmingham native, she moved to Miami shortly after graduating from high school. Muhammad worked as an accounting clerk from 1997 to 2001 for Miami-Dade County. Previous to her clerk job in Florida, she worked in the hospitality industry in Miami Beach, moving from desk supervisor to a quality control manager. Muhammad graduated from Woodlawn High School Class of 1980, attended Jefferson State Community College briefly then earned a specialized Associates Degree in Computer Business Administration and Management from Prospect Hall School of Business in Hollywood, Florida in 1994. Since returning to Birmingham, Muhammad helped provide food, clothing and money to the homeless and take elderly citizens to their doctor appointments. Muhammad serves as board secretary for Path Finders.
THOMAS W. PARCHMAN, III 
Parchman has served as chief deputy clerk in the probate court since 2017. He also had a private law practice, Parchman Law, and a practice with Pearson Chambliss & Parchman. He served as a court attendant in the Jefferson County Circuit Court Civil Division and a Judicial Law Clerk under Helen Shores Lee from 2006 to 2007. Parchman also served as a congressional intern to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2002. Parchman graduated from Indian Springs School Class of 2000 then attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government in 2004. Parchman earned his law degree from Miles Law School in 2007. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar, the Birmingham Bar, the Magic City Bar Association, the Alabama Probate Judges Association, the Property Records Industry Association and National Association for Court Management.
Facebook: ParchmanforJeffCoCircuitClerk
EYRIKA L. PARKER 
Parker, co-host on leave from WJLD 1400 AM’s “Morning Talk with Gary Richardson,” has served as executive producer of a radio talk show “Ladies First with Eyrika Parker.” Parker is a former assistant to Circuit Clerk Anne Marie Adams, who is not running for re-election. Parker also has worked in project management and provides administrative maintenance for several non-profit entities including Cornerstone and New Life Interfaith Ministries. Parker is a graduate of John Carroll Catholic High School Class of 1992 and received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science degree with a minor in Japanese from University of South Alabama in 1998 and a law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA., in 2002.
Facebook @ Elect Eyrika Parker for Jefferson County Clerk
eyrika@eyrikaparker.com
JACKIE ANDERSON-SMITH 
Anderson-Smith’s tenure on the county school board has spanned more than 30 years. She was first elected to the school board in 1986 and has been re-elected five times. She served as president in 1995 and 2016, the first black to hold the position. Anderson-Smith is currently director of Alamerica Bank and serves as community outreach representative for Birmingham City Council Hunter Williams. Anderson-Smith also served as legal assistant with Birmingham Legal Services and as health access director for Cooper Green Hospital. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, studied at Miles Law School and received five masters’ level certification through the Alabama Association of School Board Academy. Anderson-Smith is a member and past president of the Alabama School Board Association, the YMBC Civic Club, the Downtown Democrats Club, and the Committee to Save Jefferson County.
ELIZABETH MCGOWEN WATKINS 
As a paralegal in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office since 2014, Watkins said her position has given her a keen insight of the challenges that face the Clerk’s Office. Watkins served as a legal assistant to Christian & Small, LLP, in 2013 and 2014 and as a corporate paralegal at Buffalo Rock from 2009 to 2013. Watkins received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Birmingham-Southern College in 2004 and a paralegal certificate from Samford University in 2011.
Facebook: Elect Elizabeth McGowen Watkins for Clerk
RALPH YOUNG 
According to his webpage, Young said he works for a Fortune 500 company and excels at computers and his specialty is change management. Young said he represented Alabama’s Sixth District as a delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
District courts have jurisdiction over criminal misdemeanor offenses and the preliminary hearings held in felony prosecutions. District courts also have jurisdiction in civil matters where the amount in controversy exceeds $3,000, but does not exceed $10,000.
PLACE 3
Democrats
LASHUNTA “SHUN” WHITE-BOLER 
White-Boler is a family court trial attorney who has run a private practice since 2007. She serves as a special Circuit and District Court Family judge. She is also a certified Guardian Ad Litem, a registered mediator with domestic violence training and a meditator for Magic City Mediations. She served as an investigator for the National Equal Employment Opportunity Investigative Services Office and a clerk in the Jefferson County Probate Court. White-Boler is a graduate of Huffman High School Class of 1994 and earned a Bachelor of Science sociology and psychology degree in 1997 from University of West Alabama. She received a law degree from Miles College School of Law in 2000. White-Boler is a member of Jefferson County Family Court Lawyers Association, the Bessemer Bar Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She sits on the advisory board for Determined to Be Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program and the advisory board for Hope Inspired Ministries in Gate City. She is also a volunteer with Oak Tree Ministries in Gate City.
Facebook: Lashunta White-Boler Esq. for Judge
FREDERIC BOLLING 
Attorney and Special Circuit Judge Bolling has been practicing law since 1999 and established his law firm in 2012 which handles governmental defense, education law, domestic relations, family law, personal injury, criminal law, bankruptcy and other areas of general civil practice, according to his Facebook page. Bolling’s clients include the Birmingham Board of Education and the Choctaw County Board of Education and the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In 2017, Bolling was named a Special Circuit Judge, a position in which he presides over family court cases as assigned by the Presiding Family Court Judge. Bolling is a graduate of John Carroll High School Class of 1991. He graduated from Auburn University in 1995 and received his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1999. He is a member of the Alabama State University, Birmingham, Magic City, National and American Bar Associations; a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the NAACP, the Knights of Peter Claver; the Magic City Youth Football and Commissioner and Head Football Coach of Titusville Youth Sports Association. He has served on the boards of the Western Area YMCA and Northeast YMCA.
Facebook: Frederic A. Bolling for District Judge, Place 3
CLOTELE H. BRANTLEY 
A senior trial referee in the Jefferson County Family Court, Brantley has served in this position since 2007. She has served as a staff attorney to the Legal Aid Society, has worked in private practice with a focus on general law including family and criminal and probate law. She has served as an adjunct professor at Miles Law School and a professor at Jefferson State Community College. Brantley graduated from Miles Law School in 1999 where she was vice president of the student bar association. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar, Birmingham Bar, Magic City Bar and St. Clair County Bar Associations, Christian Legal Society, Alabama Lawyers Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Organizations she has served as board president include Impact Family Counseling and S.T.R.A.P. Foundation, and she has served on the boards of Jimmie Hale Mission, ITT, Shepherd’s Fold Ministries and Neighbors Who Care.
Facebook: Elect Clotele H. Brantley
PAMELA WILSON COUSINS 
Cousins, is chief executive officer and managing attorney of Pamela Wilson Cousins, P.C., a firm she has run for 25 years. Cousins is a registered mediator with the Alabama State Court Mediator’s Roster for four years. Cousins earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Tennessee State University in 1981, a Master’s degree in Personnel Administration from Alabama Agriculture & Mechanical University in 1984 and her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 1990. She is founder of The Children’s Learning Club and a member of the Birmingham Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Silver Star) and Living Stones Temple Church. She volunteers with the Tarrant High School Dispute Alternative Program and Habitat for Humanity and serves on the Diversity Committee of the Birmingham Bar Association and the association’s Mentoring Program.
votepamelaccousins@aol.com
STEPHANIE A. HUNTER 
Hunter served as a Family Court judge in 2016 and 2017 and has managed her own law firm since 2011. A native of Jamaica, Hunter came to America in 1987 and worked as a paralegal while starting a program to help single mothers get their GEDs. She attended Virginia College, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2005. She earned her law degree from Miles Law School in 2009. Hunter currently serves as the President of the Alabama Lawyers Association. She is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association’s Grievance Committee, co-chair of the Alabama State Bar Association’s Appointed Counsel and Indigent Representation Committee and member of the Alabama State Bar Association’s General Counsel Search Committee and Leadership Forum Committee. She’s also Secretary for the International Section National Bar Association, the Caribbean Section Chair to the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission and a member of the Central Alabama Caribbean American Organization.
Stephanie@electstephaniehunter.com
PLACE 9
Democrats
KECHIA DAVIS 
A Special Judge in the Birmingham Municipal Court since 2017, Davis has tried misdemeanor and felony criminal cases in family, district and circuit courts. Davis has 13 years of legal experience in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and served as a staff defense attorney and domestic violence attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Alabama. Davis is a graduate of Homewood High School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama in 2000 and a law degree from UA in 2003. She is chair of the Domestic Violence Law Group for Legal Services Alabama and Committee Chair for the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention. Davis also mentors students through the Birmingham Reads Program and Growing Kings and Living Stones Temple ministries and volunteers with Project Homeless Initiative and the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program.
GLENDA FREEMAN 
Freeman has practice law since 1997, focusing on child support, divorce, wills, and criminal and juvenile delinquent cases. She worked as a contract attorney with the Birmingham City Jail and then joined the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham as a staff attorney. She graduated from Miles College and Miles Law School. She is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, serving on the Family Law and Public Service committees; Alabama State Bar, serving on the Character and Fitness committees; vice president of the Alabama Lawyers Association; President of the Miles Law School Alumni Association; a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a former board member of the Western Area YMCA.
Facebook: Elect Glenda Freeman District Court Judge, Place 9
DEBRA WESTON-PICKENS 
Weston-Pickens, managing attorney of her own firm, has focused on criminal defense, medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death cases. Weston-Pickens worked for 16 years with Southern Company Services in the areas of Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity before beginning a legal career. She graduated from Birmingham Southern College in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Management and Marketing then obtained her law degree Miles Law School in 2001. Weston-Pickens has served on the board of directors for Focus on Recovery and Jefferson County Department of Human Resources, where she served as vice president. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she also serves as a Trained Collegiate Advisor; The Links Inc.; Sixth Avenue Baptist Church and a former member of the Coalition of 100 Black Women.
Facebook: WestonPickensForJudge
SHEILA WEIL 
Weil has been a practicing criminal defense attorney for nearly 20 years. She has served as a special District Court judge, a special municipal court judge for the city of Tarrant and a special prosecutor for the City of Gardendale. She serves as an adjunct law professor at the Birmingham School of Law. Weil graduated from Samford University in 1994 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in para-legal and received her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 1998, where she won the Hugh Locke Moot Trial Award. She is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association.
Facebook @ Elect Sheila Weil for District Court Judge, Pl 9
LOU WILLIE 
Willie is sole practitioner in his firm who specializes in civil litigation, criminal defense, and juvenile and domestic relations cases. He has served as Regional Director for Legal Services Alabama, managing offices in Birmingham, Anniston and Huntsville. Prior to pursuing law, Willie was vice president of New South Federal Savings Bank and Booker T. Washington Insurance Co; Officer for AmSouth Bank; a senior writer and broadcast producer with Gillis Townsend & Riley and a promotion manager for WAPI-TV, Channel 13. Willie received a double major in Management and Marketing degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1979 and a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 2002.
FaceBook: Lou Willie for Judge
Twitter @votelouwillie
PLACE 11
Democrats
CHUANTAE BROWN 
Criminal Defense Attorney Brown works in the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office. She said her experience in criminal court gives her the insight to serve as judge. She has handled a large caseload – up to 300 criminal cases in the past 10 months – including Drug Court cases. Brown received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from the University of Alabama. She started law school at Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University then completed her last year at the University of Alabama School of Law. Her civic responsibilities include volunteer work with Siamese Dreams Next Level Outreach, Inc., EMBODI (Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence), S.M.A.R.T. Choices Youth Empowerment Program, P.I.N.K. (Powerful Individuals Nurturing Knowledge), Project Homeless, Jessie’s Place and Growing Kings. Brown is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Facebook: ElectBrownForDistrictCourtJudge
HORACE KYNARD 
Kynard has been a private practice attorney in Bessemer for 20 years, specializing in criminal law. He is currently president of the Bessemer Bar Association and mentor to students at Miles College and the Birmingham School of Law, he said. He is board member for the T.L. Hale Scholarship Fund awarded through Kappa Alpha Psi Inc. fraternity and a member of the Parent Advisory Council for Samford University Academy of the Arts. He also serves as deacon at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Birmingham. Kynard received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Alabama State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Radiological Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He earned his law degree from the Birmingham School of Law.
THOMAS THRASH 
As a Birmingham police officer and a lawyer, Thrash said he has seen the law from different perspectives. He is sole practitioner in his law firm and specializes criminal defense, personal injury, family and landlord-tenant law. He served as a Birmingham police narcotics detective and in Undercover Operations, among other assignments, and as a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputy and a Hueytown Firefighter and Medic. Thrash earned an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Lawson State Community College in 1994, a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2000 and a law degree from Miles Law School in 2006. He is a member of the Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, treasurer for the Miles Law School Alumni Association and a deacon at 21st Street Baptist Church.
Facebook: Thomas E. Thrash for District Court Judge, Place 11
PLACE 12
Democrats
AMYRTLE M. ALLEN 
Allen, who has a private practice in Hueytown, serves as a Special Master (one who sits in place of a court referee) and as a Special Circuit Judge. Allen is a graduate of Hueytown High School Class of 1991. She attended Alabama State University but transferred to Faulkner University, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She earned her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 2006, working as a judicial clerk while she was in law school.
Facebook: Committee to elect Amytrle M. Allen
LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram: Amytrle M. Allen Attorney at Law
LORRAINE PRINGLE 
Incumbent Pringle is seeking a second term said she would like to continue her work since being elected in 2012 such as her partnership with Drug Court. Pringle is a registered nurse who owns a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Samford University and a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law. Pringle has served as vice president of the Juvenile Justice Association and has served as a member of the District Judges Association, the Juvenile Justice Task Force, chair of Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, the Alabama State Board of Nursing, the Alabama State Bar and Bessemer Bar Associations and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
Facebook: KeepJudgePringle2018
