When considering a judicial candidate, experience matters. Eddie Alley brings a host of experience, both legal and life experience to his campaign effort. He was born to young parents, and as is the case with so many in Limestone County, developed his work ethic and values by spending long hours in the family business. His dad was resourceful, and with Eddie’s help, carved out a livelihood harvesting mussels from the Tennessee River. Eddie worked year round with his dad, irrespective of the weather, and that hard work got him ready for his calling: law and justice. It is this path that he has traveled as a practicing attorney for the last 13 years.
He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Alabama, and graduated with honors. He also received his law degree from Alabama, and while still in law school (and clerking for the local District Attorney’s office), he tried several felony cases successfully. Because of his stellar performance, he was recruited by the DA’s office right out of law school and personally prosecuted everything from drugs to murder. In addition, he conducted Grand Jury proceedings for thousands of serious felony cases.
The result of his then young career and hard work flagged him as the candidate of choice by the Bush Administration as a Special Federal Prosecutor. He was appointed to that position by the US Department of Justice, and his work there was largely in the realm of violent crime reduction, a position he held for three years.
While in the Limestone County District Attorney’s Office, Eddie was personally responsible for the prosecution of thousands of misdemeanor cases, hundreds of felony cases, and he handled most of the cases that involved drugs and narcotics. In 2011, he opened his own successful law firm after being a full-time state prosecutor for over 8 years. He can add to his list of experiences that of being a small business owner. Part of his calling is that of an educator, and he has taught law both in Alabama police academies, as well as on Redstone Arsenal.
His job on the Arsenal has been to teach legal courses at the National Center for Explosives Technology and Research for state, local, and federal law enforcement, as well as the military and NATO allies. We talked for quite awhile about what is often referred to as IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, and while he has always been a strong supporter of our veterans, he said that hearing about what they have gone through in the Middle East has been truly eye-opening. “Anything that I can do to make it possible for our warfighters to do their job well, I will,” he said. I was touched by his humility as well as his gratitude for those who put their lives on the line for us.
He is a strong proponent of the 2nd Amendment, and a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. He is also a member of the Veterans’ Museum. He is keenly aware of our responsibility as a society to take care of our veterans, especially those who have returned from a fight that was not only physically brutal, but also philosophically and psychologically.
We discussed the fact that several good people are running for the many judicial positions that have become open. I asked him why, given the fact that he is in a race that is uncommonly gentlemanly, I should vote for him.
His answer was simple and quick: “Experience. For the past 13 years, I have tried cases in District Court, Circuit Court, and Municipal Court. I have taught law. I have been a Special Federal Prosecutor during the George W. Bush administration. I served as a Special Municipal Judge for Athens and Ardmore. I have been on both sides of every type of case you can imagine, and have had to examine cases from every possible perspective.”
Eddie is married to Dr. Sharie Alley, and is the father of two girls. We talked about how parenthood changes everything, and the protectiveness we feel for our families, our first responders, and our community.
As far as Eddie’s involvement in the community of Athens-Limestone County, it can only be described as “extensive.” In the past, he was on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Athens, and belonged to the Rotary Club of Athens. Currently he is a member of the Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, and the Fraternal Order of Police. He is a member in good standing of the Bar Associations of the State of Alabama as well as Limestone County. He also serves on the Limestone County Republican Executive Committee.
If experience, fairness, and values are what you are seeking in a District Judge, then vote for Eddie Alley on March 1st.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
