Tom Parker

John William Wilder, Jr. v. The City of Hoover, Frank V. Brocato, Allan Rice, and The Public Park and Recreation Board of the City of Hoover

Supreme Court of Alabama · 2026-05-15

John William Wilder, Jr. sued the City of Hoover, its mayor, city administrator, and the separately incorporated Public Park and Recreation Board after being passed over for appointment as the City's Park and Recreation Director in 2021, alleging that the city defendants had usurped the Board's autonomy by not allowing the Board to hire him for the role. The circuit court dismissed all claims, and the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed. The court held that Wilder lacked standing to sue the Board because he alleged no wrongdoing by it and failed to state a valid claim against the city defendants, as he had fundamentally confused two distinct positions: the City's Park and Recreation Director (appointed by the mayor under Ala. Code 1975, § 11-43-81) and the Board's separate director of Parks and Recreation (governed by its own bylaws and Ala. Code 1975, § 11-60-8).

labor & employmentprocedure

TAMKO Building Products, LLC v. Mike Patterson and Lisa Patterson

Supreme Court of Alabama · 2026-04-24

The case involved TAMKO Building Products appealing a circuit court's denial of its motion to compel arbitration in a lawsuit brought by Mike and Lisa Patterson over allegedly defective roofing shingles purchased with a home. The shingles came with a transferable warranty that included a broad arbitration clause requiring all claims related to the shingles or warranty to be resolved by binding arbitration and expressly delegating questions of the clause's applicability and enforceability to the arbitrator. The Alabama Supreme Court reversed the denial and remanded with instructions to grant the motion, reasoning that the clause clearly and unmistakably delegated threshold arbitrability issues to an arbitrator under established precedent, so that even disputes involving nonsignatories must first go to arbitration.

business & regulatoryprocedure

William Welch v. Julie Jones

Supreme Court of Alabama · 2026-04-17

Julie Jones sued William Welch over a dispute arising from Welch's construction of a fence for her, and after Welch and his attorney failed to appear at the scheduled trial, the circuit court entered a default judgment against him for over $64,000. Welch moved to reinstate the case, citing his attorney's calendaring error, but the circuit court denied the motion. On appeal, the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the denial, holding that Welch's initial motion failed to address the required Kirtland factors for setting aside a default judgment—particularly the strength of his defense and prejudice to Jones—and provided insufficient evidence or argument on his own culpability. The court dismissed as premature the portion of the appeal concerning Welch's later, unruled-upon verified Rule 60(b) motion seeking relief from the judgment. The decision rests on the principle that the moving party bears the burden of demonstrating grounds to set aside a default under established standards.

procedure

Jackie Walter v. Branch Hays Farm SC Associates, LP, and Hudson Construction Company

Supreme Court of Alabama · 2026-02-27

Jackie Walter sued the owner of a shopping center and a construction company after tripping and falling on uneven concrete in a construction zone outside a Staples store in Huntsville, Alabama, in May 2021. Her claims included negligence, wantonness, and premises liability. The trial court granted summary judgment to the defendants, and the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed. The court reasoned that the uneven concrete was an open and obvious hazard as a matter of law, given the presence of barricades, caution tape, warning signs, and fluorescent paint marking the area.

torts & liability

Ex parte Xavier Marqice Thompson PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS (In re: Xavier Marqice Thompson v. State of Alabama) (Jefferson Circuit Court: CC-21-6; Criminal Appeals: CR-2024-0481).

Supreme Court of Alabama · 2026-01-09

The case involves Xavier Marqice Thompson, who filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the Alabama Supreme Court to review a decision of the Court of Criminal Appeals arising from a criminal proceeding in Jefferson Circuit Court. The Supreme Court denied the petition without issuing an opinion. The denial was entered on January 9, 2026, with Chief Justice Stewart and Justices Wise, Sellers, and Cook concurring.

criminal law

Ex parte Timothy Keith Clark PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS (In re: Timothy Keith Clark v. State of Alabama) (Butler Circuit Court: CC-17-14.60; Criminal Appeals: CR-2025-0026).

Supreme Court of Alabama · 2026-01-09

The case concerned Timothy Keith Clark's petition to the Alabama Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari seeking review of a decision by the Court of Criminal Appeals in a criminal matter from the Butler Circuit Court. The Supreme Court denied the petition. No opinion was issued, so the court provided no explanation of its reasoning for the denial.

criminal lawprocedure

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Tom Parker

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