The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-11
BAR SEEKS CHANGES IN PRESENT METHOD |0F NAMING JUDGES
Trying to Work Out Plan for Nominating Con- -ventiOns of Special
 Judicial Primary
ny FRED 1T GoRMLEy

Montgomery, July 10.-(Special.)-
 Aroused over the methods used in recent
 campaigns for judicial positions, mem bers
 of the Alabama Bar Association have
 started investigations with the view of
 agreeing upon plans for the election of judges: for the setting of their tenue of
 office. and for the placing of salaries at figures which will be reasonable Com plying with resolutions adopted at the re- mingham, J. Kelly Dixon, of Taliadega,
 president of the association, today an-
 nounced the appointment of a special
 committee which will make investigations | during the year, and will report to the
 association at it's meeting in 1921 | J. T. Stokely, of Birmingham, was made
 chairman of the committee, while other
 members named on it were W. W. Calla- han, of Decatur; w. T. Sanders, ot Athens; w. H. Mitchell, of Florence, and
 Henry R. Howze, of Birmingham Many attorneys have urged for several years that judicial officers be named either at special primary or at a con vention called for the purpose. At every meeting OI tre state uenOcrdtlC executive committee an effort is made to provide for convention or special primary. but each effort has failed, The attorneys contend that the minds of voters are not turned upon judicial positions during general campaign, and that the best legal ma aterial is not now being used on the bench. President Dixon urged the state democratic executive committee this year to provide for convention for judges av,l fiohf Cor tyob hOl re on the floor by Borden Burr and others, but the suggestion was voted down over- whelmingly.
 Those supporting the movement are now bringing to the attention of the pub lie occurrences in the recent campaign with emphasis being placed on one race for associate justice of the supreme court. It is pointed out that one candi- date, not member of the supreme court, happened to be called upon to decide an important case just prior to the primary, and his opinion against the validity Of the act received state attention because it was popular with those who~were op- posed to the law. This is used as one of the reasons why judges sould not be brought into a general state campaign. The attorneys propose to make their fight before the state committee, and if
 necessary before the legislature at it's next session.
 President Dixon also announced the appointment of the following other com
 mittees, which are created by the consti- tuition and bylaws of the association
 Jurisprudence and Law Reform-S. D.
 Weakley. Birmingham, Chairman; J. M
 Foster, Tuscaloosa J. J. Willett, Annis- ton: Virgil Boudin. Scottsboro; Elliott G.
 Rickarby, Mobile.
 Judicial Administration and Remedial Procedure-Forney Johnston, Birming- ham, chairman John " Denson, Opelika; J. M. Miller, Camden; c. E. Hamilton, Greenville; Francis J. Inge. Mobile.
 Legal Education and Admission to the Bar-W. B. Harrison, Talladega, chair man; Gessner T. McCorvey, Mobile; E. l.. Clarkson, Tuscaloosa; Val J. Nesbit, Bir- mingham; Jacob A. Walker Opelika.
 Correspondence-Dav A. Grayson. Huntsville, chairman; Leon Veil, Mont gomery John w. Lapsley, Selma; P. E. Alexander, Prattville; Lester A. Farmer, Dothan.
 la, chairman; William Cunningham, Lin- den; J. T. Kirk, Tuscumbia; o. s. Lewis, Dothan; G. o. Chenault, Albany.
 Local Bar Associations-A. M. Garber. Birmingham, chairman; J. Lister Hill. Montgomery; Thomas T. Franzer, Union Springs Neil P. Sterne, Annston; Victor Vance Gadsden.
 Publication-Frank B. Embry. Pell City, chairman: Jack Thorington, Montgomery; ]. M, Tucker. Prattville; w. Howell Nor row Wetumpka; J. B. Sanford, Talla- dega.
 Violations of Ethics and Law by At torneys-A. B. Foster, Troy. chairman; James A. Mitchell. Livingston; Lawrence F. Gerald Clanton.
 Special Committee on Legislative En- actment-A. H. Carmichael, Tuscumbia, chairman: M H. Sims, Talladega; J. A. "a rnlay Elha