By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, November 16, 2017 Circuit Judge Sarah Stewart was in Pell City to speak to the St. Clair County Republican Party. Stewart is running for a seat on the Alabama Supreme Court.
Stewart said that she is originally from Oklahoma; but has lived in Mobile for the last 24 years. Stewart said that she has years of actual courtroom experience and knows all about the courts and trials. She has been a Circuit Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Mobile County since 2006.
Judge Stewart was appointed Circuit Judge by Governor Bob Riley (R) in January 2006 and was elected as a Republican without opposition in November 2006, 2010 and 2016.
According to her resume s a Circuit Judge, Judge Stewart has disposed of over 1800 criminal and civil cases per year. She currently serves as the Mobile County Judicial Nominating Committee Chairperson elected by her fellow circuit judges. Before becoming a trial judge, she practiced law for over 14 years with the law firms of Hand Arendall and Ezell Sharbrough LLC and as senior partner in Stewart & Hicks P.C.
Judge Stewart has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas. Stewart received her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1992.
Judge Stewart has been an active leader in the Alabama Circuit Judges Association. She has sat on the Board of Directors since 2009. She is now Vice-President, having served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2016-2017. Judge Stewart has served as the Alabama Circuit and District Judges Education Chair since 2011, implementing continuing education programs for newly appointed or elected circuit and district judges, organizing the Association’s semi-annual conferences, and coordinating topic specific seminars with the National Judicial College.
Judge Stewart teaches a variety of courses to judges throughout the state emphasizing “best practices” in such areas as contempt, judicial writing, judicial temperament, learning styles, and the use of mediation to control docket flow. She is a frequent speaker at legal education conferences on various topics for the bar.
Judge Stewart has served on the Board of Directors in Mobile County for the Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama and the Loaves and Fishes Ministry-15th Place Homeless Day Service Shelter. She has been an active member of the Junior League of Mobile.
Judge Stewart has been married for over twenty-eight years to Craig R. Stewart. They have two daughters. She is an active member of Ashland Place United Methodist Church.
Stewart is running for the open seat on the Supreme Court currently held by Glenn Murdock (R).
Judge Phil Seay said that there are some Appeals Court Judges who had never been in a courtroom before. Judge Stewart is an experienced trial judge.
Judge Stewart said that it is like digging ditches. The people who study digging ditches would do it one way; but the people who actually dig ditches for a living would do things differently. She knows the courts and how to conduct trials.
The St. Clair County Republican Party Executive Committee unanimously passed a motion supporting Judge Roy Moore (R) for U.S. Senate.
The St. Clair County Republican Party bass tournament is set for March 16, 2018.
The major party primaries are on June 5, 2018.
