The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-16
COMMITTEE TAKES.
ACTION TO CLEAR
UP COMP |CAT|ON
Nominations Made to Avoid
Vacancies in Offices Be
tween Election Day
and January /

Montgomery, September 15.-(Spe-
cial What appeared to be a conlpli
Gated situation was cleared up by the
state democratic executive committee
this afternoon in nominating 20 judi
cial officials. appointed by the COVER
nor within the six months preceding
the general election to be held in No
vember, for the uneXpired terms ex-
tending from November until the date
IN JANUARY. when the newly elected
OFFICIALS will take office. The commit
tee acted on motion of John Gamble of
Troy. who brought up the matter and
declared it to be one requiring imme-
date attention.
The fact that there was a lapse in
these offices from November until Jan
uary became known only in the last
few days 1t was discovered in Coosa
county where Probate Judge Thomas,
who is the governors appointee, has
been serving about one year Under
the constitution the governor may fill
vacancies in judicial offices by appoint
ment, such appointees, however, serv-
ing only until the next general cleo
the time of the vacancy and the gen
eral election. The nominees for the
new terms enter upon their duties In
January and hence it was conceded
that vacancies would exist after the
November election in all judicial Of
fices where the incumbent appointee
of the governor has been in office six
months or more.
Many of the best known judicial
officials of the state were affected,
including Judge r. V. Evans of the
court of appeals, who will be sue
ceeded by Charles r. Bricken in jan
uary. The nominations made by the
state committee will be certified in
the regular way by Chairman Bibb
Graves so that the probate judges may
be duly notified in order that the
names of the nominees shall be print
ed OH the ballots
1t was pointed out that the vacan-
cies could be filled by nomination of
the committee or by the governor call
ing special elections. The former
course was deemed most expeditions.
The following are the judicial Off
Gals nominated by the committee for
tne lapSed terms. R1cnard v. Evans,
judge of court of appeals; II. A. Pearce,
Dothan, Judge of the Twentieth judi
cal circuit; J. S. Williams, Clayton,
Judge of Third judicial circuit; A. S.
VandeGraaff. judge of Sixth judicial
circuit; Heflin j. Berry, judge of in
ferior court of Dallas county; 7. Fl.
Jones, judge of inferior court of Tall
ladega; w. B. Castleberry, judge of in
ferior court of Talladega; G. P. But
Ter, probate judge of Lee county; W.
T.. Rushing, pHobate judge of Escambia
county; w. L. Pitts, probate judge of
Perry county; DR.. w. j. Nicholson, pro-
bate judge of Bibb county; Wallace
y. Pruitt, probate judge of Washing
ton county; Thomas r. Lea, Judge of
municipal court of Birmingham;
Charles +. Layden, judge of inferior
court of Admission; Sam T. Huey, judge
of inferior court Of Jefferson county;
A. e. Foster, Troy, judge of Twelfth
judicial circuit; r. C. Brickell judge
of Eighth judicial circuit; Oscar Lewis,
Tuskeget, chancellor of southeastern
chancery division; James e. Horton,
Athens, chancellor of northwestern
chancery division; Probate Judge
Thomas of Coosa county.