A new Alabama law designed to decrease a backlog in the justice system across the state is already being put to use.
) - A new Alabama law designed to decrease a backlog in the justice system across the state is already being put to use.is meant to decrease the backlog of cases from county to county by having a retired or sitting judge step in when needed to oversee a trial.
According to the law, the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court can approve cases brought to them by the state’s Attorney General or District Attorneys from around the state. “When you have such a backlog and so many cases, it’s just a really difficult situation,” Mark McDaniel explained. Attorney and legal expert Mark McDaniel said that cases normally take two to three years to end if they make it all the way to a jury trial. He said they can take even longer than that sometimes, too. Leaders around the state are prioritizing violent crimes to be pushed through first through the new law. “I’ve tried all these cases, so you see these people and the victims, they want justice,” McDaniel said about his over 40-year career. “They want their case tried, and everybody understands that.” And while it certainly will help, McDaniel said it won’t clear the docket completely by any means. He said all of the parties in the case must be ready to go to trial, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial, so every step needs to be hit. “You can’t just clear the courthouse and tell all the judges to go home, that’s doing everything else,” McDaniel said. “Enough courtrooms, enough judges, enough prosecutors, everybody ready to go. That’s the perfect case scenario. Would you still clear up the docket? No.”The act is already being used as Supreme Court Justice Sarah Stewart appointed a judge to speed up the trial for the suspect in Aniah Blanchard’s murder. There is also a Speedy Trial Fund that will be attached to the law to pay for expenses of the trial, such as paying a judge who is coming in, jury expenses and more. State leaders also have said that it’s about more than just speed, that it is about making sure the victims in these violent crimes can receive the justice they deserve. McDaniel said that after a while, evidence and witness testimonies can start to deteriorate and change, so they need to get to trial as soon as the justice system will allow. The law is meant to: prioritize violent criminal cases, protect witnesses and their testimonies, reduce court backlogs and strengthen public trust.2 arrested after attempt to sneak drugs, phones into Alabama prisonFederal HIV prevention cuts expected to impact Alabama, others without state funding
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