Judge Elizabeth “Beth” Kellum announced her intention to seek re-election to a third term on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday.
Kellum made the formal announcement at a gathering of friends, family and supporters.
“It’s been my privilege to serve the people of Alabama on the Court of Criminal Appeals, and I want to continue to serve them,” Kellum said. “Our Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals hears every appeal of felony and misdemeanor cases and all post-conviction writs in criminal cases, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done these last several years.”
“Our job as the Criminal Appeals Court is to review the actions and decisions of the trial courts, based on the records and evidence presented at those trials,” Kellum added. “We don’t make or interpret the laws. We are there to make sure the law, and the procedures laid down in the law, are followed correctly with fairness and without bias to either side.”
“My pledge to the people of Alabama is that I will continue to be fair and unbiased in every case that comes before the Court of Criminal Appeals,” Kellum continued. “I believe that is the best way — indeed, the only way — we can insure that justice and the rule of law is upheld in our Alabama trial courts.”
Judge Beth Kellum is a native of Vance in Tuscaloosa County. She graduated from Brookwood High School in 1977. She has both a bachelor’s and a law degree from the University of Alabama. In 1985 she became an assistant attorney general under Alabama Attorney General Charles Graddick.
Her work as an assistant attorney general led to an offer to become a staff attorney for the Court of Criminal Appeals from 1987 until 1990. Kellum was in private practice in Montgomery from 1990 to 1997. In 1997, she returned to the Court of Criminal Appeals as senior staff attorney. There she served both the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court.
Kellum was elected to the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2008 and re-elected in 2014.
Kellum is a member of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery. She is active in a number of local civic and political organizations.
The Court of Criminal Appeals hears appeals of criminal cases, everything from traffic tickets to murder. The Court of Civil Appeals hears appeals of civil cases including family court. If one of the parties is not still not satisfied with the outcome of their case, they can appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court, which hears both criminal and civil appeals.
All of the judges for the appellate courts in Alabama are elected statewide and all of those judges are currently Republicans.
Kellum will be on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2020.
