Get to know Mountain Brook residents running for judgeships

Sherri Coleman Friday

Jefferson County Probate Judge, Place 2

Sherri Coleman Friday graduated from the University of Alabama in 1985 with a BA in history and political science. Before attending law school, Friday managed her brother’s re-election campaign for District Judge in Jefferson County. She attended the Cumberland School of Law beginning in June 1986 and took the Alabama Bar exam in 1989.  She then founded Coleman and Coleman, which later became Coleman and Friday law firm, with her father, where she practiced until she became Probate Judge, Place 2 in 2006. With the support of her husband, Alan; her children, Grace, Sara Alan and Clare; and her parents, Ralph and Peggy, Friday is running for re-election.

As a judge for your county, how do you feel your decisions will impact your area?

Every week I hold involuntary commitments in the psychiatric units at Brookwood and Trinity Medical Centers. I see my role as judge of who is a danger to themselves or others as a part of the treatment team in the hospital. This allows the psychiatrist, the nurses and therapists to maintain a better treatment relationship with that patient.

I have also been privileged to preside over the adoptions of hundreds of children in our area. This is a joy beyond belief. When a child is adopted into a home in Mountain Brook, I feel great pride in telling their parents what an advantage it is to their children. I know they will be in communities dedicated to their children and a village where they flourish.

Guardianships and Conservatorships of Incapacitated persons is a major part of my judicial docket. These are difficult cases. It may be a child who has lost a parent or an elderly person who has lost their memory, but each case is treated with care. We don’t just talk about money but the care of the ward and what the plan is.

Lastly, I am involved weekly in cases of persons managing estates of their deceased loved ones. This is the most difficult timefor families. I try to eliminate strife in these situations whenever possible. I approach the situation with compassion and hope that our court can help bring closure to those in grief.

Davis Lawley

Jefferson County District Judge, Place 3

Davis Lawley graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia in 1984 with a degree in macroeconomics. He spent two years working with the Senate and with a law firm in Washington D.C. before attending Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated with his law degree in 1989. Before he was the District Judge, Lawley was Assistant District Attorney, where he specialized in Drug Task Force and Arson Task Force cases for North Alabama. Lawley also co-founded the Jefferson County Association of Family Court Attorneys to help develop issues, relationships and efficiencies in Family Court. With the support of his parents, William and Jo of Tuscaloosa, Lawley is running for state office.

As a judge for your county, how do you feel your decisions will impact your area?

Judges in the Family Court have direct and great impact on every city in Jefferson County. In dealing with child abuse and neglect, truancy, child support, crimes committed by children and domestic violence issues, our courts are not only on the leading edge of crime, but are also sometimes the last resort to stabilize a child’s life before they are lost. Local law enforcement relies heavily on knowledgeable, responsive judges to help them keep our community safe, stable and prosperous.

I have those qualifications and have been endorsed by the Homewood Police Chief, as well as all the police chiefs and the sheriff in the Jefferson County Chief of Police Association. Knowing members of the City Council and helping coach a lacrosse team, I am intimately tied to the progress of the area. My view is that “when families are at risk, experience counts.”

Please help your community by voting for truly qualified judges. Our future depends on it.