Alabama

The Alabama supreme court justices behind IVF ruling

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2024

The Alabama supreme court justices behind IVF ruling

On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same legal rights as children in a move that immediately led the state’s largest hospital to pause in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

The judgment by nine Republican justices was unanimous in then concluding that “unborn children are children.” This means that the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to “all children, born and unborn, without limitation.” It is standard practice in IVF treatment for multiple embryos to be fertilized, with just one returned to the women’s womb and the others discarded.

As a result, clinics across Alabama put IVF treatments on hold; Gabrielle Goidel, who was just days away from retrieving her embryos after spending $20,000 in the hope of a child, told CNN that she had never “been this stressed in her life.”

A number of Republicans hit out at the ruling, including Donald Trump, by some margin the favorite for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. He offered strong support for IVF treatment in a post on his Truth Social website.

Newsweek has created a brief summary of the nine Alabama Supreme Court justices who made the controversial ruling.

Chief Justice Tom Parker

Tom Parker was elected as an associate justice to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2004 and became chief justice in 2018.

The Montgomery native studied at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, before becoming a doctor of law at Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Parker served as Alabama’s deputy administrative director of courts and also operated as a legal adviser to the chief justice.

Associate Justice Greg Shaw

Greg Shaw joined the Alabama Supreme Court in 2009 and was reelected in 2014, then again in 2020.

Born in Birmingham, Shaw studied at Auburn University, followed by Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, after which he was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1982.

Shaw is married to Dr. Nicole Shaw, and the couple have two sons. They are both members of the Auburn United Methodist Church.

Associate Justice A. Kelli Wise

Alisa Kelli Wise was first elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2010 after which she was reelected in 2016 and 2022. Previously, she served as presiding judge of the court of criminal appeals and was the youngest women ever to serve on the court when first elected.

Raised on her family’s farm as a fifth-generation Alabamian, Wise received an undergraduate degree from Auburn University, then became a doctor of law at Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.

Wise and her husband, Arthur Ray, a former Montgomery County District Court Judge, are both members of St. James United Methodist Church.

The nine justices of the Alabama Supreme Court pose in a group photo. On February 16, the court sparked controversy by ruling embryos have the same legal rights as children.

Alabama Judicial System

Associate Justice Tommy Bryan

Tommy Bryan was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2012 and sworn in the following day. In 2018, he was reelected to the court without opposition.

Raised on a family farm in Crenshaw County, Bryan was educated at Troy University. He then studied at Jones School of Law.

Before being elected to the Alabama Supreme Court, Bryan served on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. He lives in Montgomery and attends the city’s First Baptist Church.

Associate Justice William B. Sellers

William Sellers, a specialist in tax litigation, was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2017 by Governor Kay Ivey to fill a vacancy.

He received a bachelor degree from Hillsdale College before studying for his juris doctorate at the University of Alabama and receiving a masters of laws in taxation from New York University in 1989. Before entering public service, Sellers practiced law for 28 years.

Sellers has been married to his wife for 35 years, and the couple have three children. They are both members of the Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Associate Justice Brady E. Mendheim, Jr.

Brady E. Mendheim, Jr. was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2018 by Governor Kay Ivey to fill a vacancy, before which he had served as a circuit judge for the 20th Judicial Circuit (Henry and Houston Counties) since 2009.

He was educated at Auburn University and Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. Mendheim, Jr. is married and has three sons. Both he and his wife are members of First Baptist Church of Dothan.

Associate Justice Sarah Hicks Stewart

In 2018, Sarah Hicks Stewart was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court, having previously served as a circuit judge in Mobile for 13 years, dealing with both criminal and civil cases.

Before joining the circuit bench in 2006, she spent 14 years in private practice, following her graduation from Vanderbilt Law School in 1992.

Stewart is married with three children and is active with Ashland Place Methodist Church.

Associate Justice Jay Mitchell

James ‘Jay’ Mitchell was first elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2018, prior to which he worked as an attorney for Maynard, Cooper & Gale.

Born in Mobile, he graduated from Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Virginia School of Law, and also holds a master of arts from University College in Dublin, Ireland.

A member of Church of the Highlands, Mitchell is married and has four children.

Associate Justice Gregory Carl Cook

Gregory Cook is the newest member of the Alabama Supreme Court, having been elected to the position in 2022.

He studied at Duke University before joining the United States Air Force where he reached the rank of captain. In 1991, Cook graduated from Harvard Law School, after which he went into private practice for 31 years.

Since 1991, Cook has been a member of the Dawson Memorial Baptist Church and he is married with three children.

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Alabama

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

Published

3 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.

The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.

The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.

Up next

Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.

Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Alabama

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Published

15 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.

The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.

The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.

We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?

The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?

Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?

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Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

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Alabama

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – As holiday deliveries ramp up, a new Alabama law aims to deter package theft by raising penalties for so-called “porch piracy.” The law, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, makes repeated package theft a felony and can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years in the most serious cases.

What changed

Previously, many package thefts in Alabama were charged as misdemeanor theft because the value of individual stolen packages often fell below felony thresholds. Under the new law however, lawmakers established penalties that focus on the number of homes targeted rather than the dollar value of items stolen:

Stealing from 1 to 9 homes: most serious misdemeanor
Stealing from 10 to 29 homes: felony
Stealing from 30 or more homes: can result in up to 10 years in prison

The law also increases penalties if stolen packages are used to commit identity theft or fraud. In addition, anyone who knowingly receives packages stolen by a porch pirate can be charged under the new rules.

Lawmakers weigh in

Senator April Weaver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the change was meant to protect Alabama families during the holidays.

“It was really important to protect the people not only in my district but throughout the state of Alabama and to make sure their hard-earned money is going to their children’s Christmas,” she said.

On camera, Senator Weaver added with holiday humor, “It means the Grinch may have stolen Christmas in Whoville, but if he does it in Alabama, he’ll have plenty of time in state prison for his heart to grow three sizes.”

What police recommend if your package is stolen

If you discover a stolen package, law enforcement recommends:

Report the theft to police immediately.
Preserve any doorbell or surveillance footage that may show the theft.
Contact the delivery company right away to report the missing item.
Consider requiring a signature on delivery to reduce the risk of theft.

The law went into effect on October 1, 2025; this December marks the first holiday season it is in effect. Alabama is now one of more than a dozen states that have passed laws specifically targeting package theft. Supporters say the law sends a stronger message that porch piracy will no longer be treated as a minor offense.

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