Mountain Brook has a new prosecutor in its municipal court, but he is a familiar face.
Ross Self was chosen from seven applicants for the position and was sworn in Monday by municipal court Judge KC Hairston during the City Council meeting on Aug. 29. Self had been the public defender in the Mountain Brook court.
Hairston said Self has tried more cases before him than any other attorney. “He’s won some and lost some,” the judge said. “But without exception, Ross has always been overprepared.”
Speaking with Village Living, Self explained the difference in his past and current jobs in the court.
“My new job will be to represent the city in prosecuting cases against defendants, people who have been accused of municipal ordinance violations and misdemeanor violations within the city limits,” the attorney said. “Up until now, I've been defending indigent defendants. As the public defender, you defend those who cannot afford to retain counsel of their own.”
Self grew up and still lives near Warrior. Beyond practicing law, he has been the public defender in Warrior’s municipal court for about 10 years. It was his work in Warrior that got him on the radar of the Mountain Brook court.
“The outgoing prosecutor in Mountain Brook, Jeffrey D. Bramer, used to be the judge in Warrior,” Self said. “When the public defender position came open seven or eight years ago in Mountain Brook, he recommended me for that job.”
Bramer stepped down from the Mountain Brook court and has moved to South Carolina to retire.
“I'm fortunate enough to be taking over for him,” Self said. “Those are pretty big shoes to fill. He's been a mentor of mine. He's been a good friend of mine. I respect him a lot, not only as an attorney but as a human being. I'm fortunate to represent the people of the city of Mountain Brook and I'm fortunate and honored and humbled to be able to have the opportunity to fill his shoes.”
Self will be paid $175 per hour, or roughly $8,000. “It’s well covered by the revenue from the court,” council member Billy Pritchard said.
During the pre-council meeting, Gerald Garner and traffic engineer Richard Caudle gave a report from a committee that was assembled to look at potential traffic issues for public safety vehicles. The committee’s initial focus was Winthrop Avenue near Mountain Brook Junior High.
The committee recommended making Winthrop Avenue a one-way street during school pickup times. Additionally, that body wants to examine posting no parking signs on one side of Winthrop and one side of Norman Drive.
The council called for a public hearing at the Sept. 25 meeting to discuss the matter. Notices will go out to residents in the area and to the school.
In the council meeting, the panel approved a second change order for the Jemison Park project. The changes involve adding curbs and gutters, and massaging the grade.
The next meeting of the Mountain Brook City Council will be 7 p.m. on Sept. 11.
