Tuscaloosa County Judicial Commission Announces Three Candidates To Fill Open Circuit Judge Seat

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa County Judicial Commission announced Tuesday that it has submitted three nominees to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to fill a circuit court judgeship left vacant by the retirement of Circuit Judge Brad Almond, who stepped down Dec. 1 after nearly 18 years on the bench.

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The nine-member commission selected attorneys John Baird, Chad Hobbs and Corey Seale from a pool of six applicants.

The commission pointed out that all three nominees are graduates of the University of Alabama School of Law and are seeking judicial office for the first time.

Though two previously practiced in the private sector, all currently work in public service.

Baird, a 41-year-old lifelong Tuscaloosa County resident, has served in the Tuscaloosa County Public Defender’s Office for his entire career and now works as a supervising trial attorney. He was admitted to the Alabama Bar in 2010, has held leadership roles within the Tuscaloosa County Bar Association and received multiple awards for his courtroom work.

Hobbs, 47, entered the legal profession in 2004 and now serves as a senior associate city attorney for the City of Tuscaloosa. He worked at Rosen Harwood from 2004 to 2020 and is licensed in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Originally from Baldwin County, Hobbs has lived in Tuscaloosa since 2001.

Seale, 36, began practicing law in 2016 and is currently a senior assistant district attorney with the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office, where she has served since 2018.

Seale previously worked with Phelps, Jenkins, Gibson and Fowler, LLP and has held leadership roles in several legal organizations. She was raised in Marengo County and has lived in Tuscaloosa since 2008.

The Tuscaloosa County Judicial Commission pointed out that if Ivey does not appoint a judge within 60 days, the commission will reconvene and present a new slate of nominees.

If they choose to do so, the appointee will stand for election to a full term in the 2028 election cycle.

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