Kim Chaney
Kim J. Chaney is a former judge for the Cullman County District Court.
Chaney is the son of Jim and Jean-Ann Chaney and the grandson of Novie and Ruth Chaney. The family operated Chaney's Feed Mill and Chaney's Feed & Seed.
Chaney graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor's and master's in criminal justice. His law enforcement career included a stint with the Cullman County Sheriff's Department. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Birmingham School of Law and opened his own practice.
Chaney left private practice to serve as Cullman County District Attorney in 1987. He was elected to the District Court as a Republican in 1992 and re-elected four times. Chaney collaborated with Morgan County Judge David Breland and Walker County Judge James Brotherton to found Camp Mitnick, a state-funded "boot camp" program for juvenile offenders, in 1993. The Cullman Times honored him as "Cullman County’s Distinguished Citizen" in 2001.
In February 2020 the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission (on which Chaney served from 2012 to 2016), filed a complaint alleging that he had appointed his son, Alex, to represent indigent criminal defendants, including some that were heard in his court. Chaney resigned from the bench effective February 22 and reached an agreement with the Alabama Court of the Judiciary to accept a finding of guilt and pay the costs of his prosecution.
Chaney is also a director of the Cullman Savings Bank and serves on the boards of the nonprofits Daystar House and Cullman Caring for Kids. He is married to the former Maureen Murphy, a special education teacher, and has two children.
References
- Owens, Tiffeny (October 6, 2017) "Ethics director: Chaney probe centers on criminal case appointments."
- Koplowitz, Howard (February 19, 2020) "Cullman County judge retires week after ethics complaint." The Birmingham News
- Koplowitz, Howard (February 25, 2020) "Retired Cullman County judge guilty of ethics charges." The Birmingham News