Ted Hosp, legal adviser to Siegelman, said the legislation is a response to the case of Wanda Jones, a rape victim who was not given proper notice of parole hearings for the three men convicted of kidnapping and gang raping her in 1983. After a public uproar last year, the board rescinded paroles of two of the men and denied a parole for the third. Hosp said in September the governor believed the board was biased against Jones. Representatives of the board did not return a call Monday. There ought to be a process for recusal.
Judges do it.
The legislation provides for self-removal by a member or a petition process charging bias. Appeal is to the attorney general. Richard Allen, chief deputy attorney general, said Attorney General Bill Pryor supports the legislation. The administrative law division would handle the appeals. That division is under control of Walter Turner, our senior merit system employee.