convicted

Former Montgomery cop convicted in shooting of unarmed black man

A former Montgomery Police officer was convicted on Friday of manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed black man in 2016. Aaron Cody Smith is facing a sentence of between 10 and 20 years for shooting and killing Greg Gunn just steps from the home Gunn shared with his mother. Prosecutors had charged Smith … Continued

Josh Moon

November 25, 2019

45 years later, man sentenced to life at 16-years-old seeks parole

Faith communities, prisoners’ rights groups, friends and family of man sentenced to life at 16-years-old are advocating for his parole to be approved after spending over 45 years in prison. Andre Legay Wallace was convicted of murder, robbery, rape and mayhem in 1974. He was then sentenced to concurrent terms of life in prison for … Continued

Jessa Reid Bolling

November 14, 2019

Opinion

What’s it going to take to get fed up?

What’s it going to take for people – just ordinary people who live their lives and follow the law and pay their taxes and vote – to get fed up with all the mess going on? Oh, yes, some are fed up. Me, for example, and my wife. I have friends who are fed up. … Continued

Joey Kennedy

October 24, 2019

Former state senator, attorney, pleaded guilty to stealing from clients

An attorney and former Alabama state senator pleaded guilty to two counts of theft for stealing money from clients, state Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office announced Tuesday. Zeb Little was convicted in Franklin County Circuit Court on September 20 of two counts of felony theft of property and admitted to removing clients’ money from his … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 25, 2019

Opinion

Will the Alabama Supreme Court do for Mike Hubbard what no one else would?

The most worthless oral arguments in legal history will occur Tuesday in front of the Alabama Supreme Court. That’s when attorneys representing former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard will once again argue that he didn’t break the law because the laws were wrong. And the state will once again point out that Hubbard’s the one … Continued

Josh Moon

June 4, 2019

On two fronts: Ethics laws face challenges before Supreme Court and in Statehouse

Alabama’s ethics laws are under attack on two fronts. A bill moving through the Legislature would significantly loosen the state’s “toughest-in-the-nation” ethics rules, which govern the behavior of state officials, lawmakers, lobbyists and those who hire them. In the courts, though, another challenge is brewing. Former Republican House Speaker Mike Hubbard — convicted on 12 … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 9, 2019

Opinion

How Alabama’s civil forfeiture laws left a couple living in a storage shed

Teresa and Greg Almond are living in a storage shed. In their 50s, business owners and upstanding citizens, they live in a storage shed, are warmed by a propane heater and use solar panels to get a smidge of energy to power a small TV at night. They didn’t get there by personal mistakes. It … Continued

Josh Moon

April 4, 2019

Opinion

Despite Supreme Court ruling, Alabama’s civil forfeiture laws will remain awful

The U.S Supreme Court on Wednesday mandated an overhaul of how America’s police departments and courts handle the seizure of assets from people convicted of a crime — stating plainly that 8th amendment protections against excessive fines also apply to states. But don’t worry. Cops in Alabama are still free to take your stuff, crime … Continued

Josh Moon

February 21, 2019

Alabama executes Muslim inmate after Supreme Court overturns stay

Alabama performed its first execution of 2019 following a legal back and forth over whether the inmate could be put to death without a chaplain of his faith in the chamber. The state executed Dominque Ray, a Muslim inmate who had appealed to federal courts after the state refused to allow an imam to be … Continued

Chip Brownlee

February 8, 2019

Opinion

Alabama’s top 5 political new stories of 2018

As usual, 2018 was a busy year for state political news in Alabama. From indictments and scandals to big election wins and controversial legislation, here are the top five political stories of the past year. 5. Superfund convictions After months of embarrassing stories for Alabama politicians, a federal grand jury finally brought some closure to … Continued

Josh Moon

December 28, 2018