Bush relies on track record for re-election

Contributed Auburn Villager Russell K. Bush is seeking his third term as Lee County District Judge, Place 2, a position he’s held since 2000.

When citizens pick up the ballot for the March 13 primaries, two men will be up for election for district judge, place 2.

One is District Judge Russell Bush, who has served in the capacity since 2000.

"I probably had the idea of being a judge in the back of my mind before I had the idea of being a lawyer," Bush said.

Bush was born in Dadeville and moved to Opelika when he was 12. After graduating from Opelika High School, Bush attended Auburn University and then graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Before being elected as a judge, Bush worked for 10 years in private practice with two different firms and as a solo practitioner.

Bush first ran for the district judge position in 2000, along with five other candidates, after Judge Richard Lane had moved to Family Court.

"I came along when it was kind of an unwritten rule that if the judge was doing a good job, you didn't run against him," Bush said. "You generally waited until one retired."

Bush said he wanted to become a judge to help people. The suggestion first came from high school guidance counselor Patsy Parker, who told him he would make a good judge.

"That may have planted the seed," Bush said. "When somebody you think a lot of tells you you'd do something well, you kind of remember that."

Bush said his experience—trying cases in every court from civil to appellate to federal, even filing cases with the U.S. Supreme Court—is a primary reason he should be re-elected.

"If I had to go back and run on my resume from ten years ago, I would still have better experience," Bush said.

Bush also cited his efficiency as a skill he has acquired serving as judge.

"District court is the highest volume court in the Lee County court system," Bush said. "We have to be efficient with our time and our resources."

Because of his experience and state budget cuts, Bush has taken on circuit court cases in addition to his regular workload.

"(It's) by statute not the job we are supposed to do, but it's a job we can do if the presiding circuit judge in your circuit feels you have the experience to handle those cases," Bush said. "I did those type cases when I was in private practice, and that was never a question."

Bush said another marker of his success is being asked to train new judges at Alabama Judicial College.

"You don't get asked to do that if you're not handling your job well," Bush said. "There's no grading system for judges, really ... but if there's any way to rate a judge, I would think that you wouldn't get asked to go teach new judges if you weren't well-thought-of as a judge."

He has also completed 200 hours of continuing education at the National Judicial College.

"I have tried to stay up with the law, and that's helped me with handling these circuit court cases," Bush said. "There's a temptation once you're elected district judge to ignore legal developments that you don't deal with anymore ... By keeping up with that, I think I've kept myself qualified to handle circuit court cases."

Bush said he hopes people will think that he has been a good judge for the past 11 years and will re-elect him for another six.

"Most people characterize the work of the district court as being the small cases," Bush said. "I take the position that, for each person that walks in here, that's probably the only case they have, and it's important to them.

"I try to remember that, whether it's $3,000 or one of these $300,000 cases that we've been assigned to hear—I treat them all the same.

"Even though we have to be efficient and move lots of cases, (I try) to give everybody the time that they feel their case is entitled," Bush said. "I'd like to think that people leave the court feeling they've been treated fairly.

"It's been a privilege and an honor to serve the people of Lee County."