Scott Slate sworn in as Morgan County district judge

By Wes Tomlinson

For the Enquirer

Decatur attorney Scott Slate was sworn in Feb. 26 as Morgan County’s newest district judge and told a packed courtroom that in his new role he will serve the people. 

“We’re blessed to have this system of justice,” Slate said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s as good a system of justice as you’ll find in the world, and to be a part of that is a real honor and blessing.” 

Slate’s oldest son Will stood by him and held his Bible while Morgan County District Judge Shelly Waters read his oath, helping to keep a family tradition going. 

“He’s my first cousin,” Waters said. “My father, Ralph, was a lawyer and a member of the House of Representatives for 16 years. My uncle Rudolph was a district judge and circuit judge and our grandfather, Leonard Slate, was a county commissioner. All four of my father’s daughters became lawyers, so we have a long history.” 

Slate was appointed to the position by Gov. Kay Ivey on Feb. 10, after former District Judge Brent Craig announced he would retire. 

Slate, 55, grew up in Hartselle and graduated from Hartselle High School in 1987. He received his undergraduate degree from Samford University in 1991 and his juris doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1993. 

Slate then practiced law in Decatur from 1994 until 2008 and served as an assistant state attorney general in the early 2000s for the Department of Human Resources. In 2008, he left for Ireland to serve as a missionary for 10 years. 

He then returned to Decatur and has been working in private practice since early 2019 for Harris Caddell & Shanks PC where he is a partner. In 2018, he said he worked as an assistant district attorney for Morgan County for five months. 

Morgan County attorney David Langston has known Slate since they were students at Hartselle High and he has worked with him the last six years as a fellow partner at Harris Caddell & Shanks. He said Slate’s temperament will carry him far as a district judge, helping him to handle tough cases. 

District Judge Scott Slate and other judges, both current and retired, share a laugh during Slate’s swearing-in ceremony at the Morgan County Courthouse on Wednesday.  Photo by Jeronimo Nisa.

“You just got to have a manner of dealing with people and you’ve got to be even-keeled,” Langston said. “You’re either born with that or you’re not and Scott absolutely has it.” 

The ceremony was attended by Slate’s family, lawyer colleagues and several Morgan County judges, both active and retired. 

Morgan County Probate Judge Greg Cain said he got to know Slate through his work at Harris Caddell and he also admires his even temperament and approach to trial law. 

“In my court, he was always very well prepared and very knowledgeable of the law,” Cain said. “He’s in my courtroom probably three or four times a month.” 

Slate said he felt grateful and humbled when he heard Ivey had appointed him. 

“I have thought that I would run for district judge, probably since I was in my 20s, because I always thought this job really suited me and that I could make a difference and serve in this capacity,” Slate said. 

“I see the role of judge as applying the law that the Legislature has passed and not trying to create law from the bench.” 

Slate said he wants his service on the bench to be remembered for honesty, integrity and hard work. 

“Because (Brent Craig) was off the bench for four weeks, when I stepped in, I was officially sworn in on Feb. 14 so I could start work,” Slate said. “So I immediately started taking dockets and I’ve had five dockets already.” 

He said he will probably be handling more civil dockets than the other two judges and will also handle criminal and juvenile cases. 

“They threw me in the deep end, but that’s OK. That’s the best way to learn a new position,” Slate said. 

Slate has two other adult children: 25-year-old Ella, who is Will’s twin, and Grayson, 23. Slate said Ella is a pediatric nurse in Dublin and Grayson is a senior at the University College Dublin and is considering following in his father’s footsteps. 

“He would probably be a barrister in Ireland and practice over there because he has been there since he was 6 years old,” Slate said.