Mobile County District Court Judge Resigns After Less Than a Year

Judicial commission seeks applicants to fill District Court Place 4 vacancy

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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District Court Place 4 Judge Deborah Tillman has resigned from her position after being on the bench for less than a year. Tillman was appointed to the role in July 2025 by Governor Kay Ivey, replacing former judge Spiro Cheriogotis who left to become mayor of Mobile. The Mobile County Judicial Commission is now seeking applicants to fill the vacancy.

Why it matters

The resignation of a judge after such a short tenure is unusual and raises questions about the reasons behind Tillman's departure. The appointment of a new district court judge is an important decision that can impact the local justice system and community.

The details

Deborah Tillman previously worked for former District Attorney John Tyson and Ashley Rich before being appointed to the District Court Place 4 judgeship. Application packets for the position became available on February 23 and can be picked up through March 23. Completed applications should be returned by April 17, after which the applicants will be announced on April 20. The public will have until May 11 to provide commentary, and the judicial commission will then meet on May 14 to select three applicants, one of whom will be appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy.

  • Tillman was appointed to the judgeship in July 2025.
  • Tillman was sworn in during a ceremony in September 2025.
  • Tillman tendered her resignation in February 2026.

The players

Deborah Tillman

Former District Court Place 4 judge who resigned after less than a year on the bench.

Spiro Cheriogotis

Former District Court Place 4 judge who left the position to become mayor of Mobile.

Kay Ivey

Governor of Alabama who appointed Deborah Tillman to the District Court Place 4 judgeship.

John Tyson

Former District Attorney that Deborah Tillman previously worked for.

Ashley Rich

Former District Attorney that Deborah Tillman previously worked for.

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What’s next

The judicial commission will meet on May 14 to select three applicants, one of whom will be appointed by the governor to fill the District Court Place 4 vacancy.

The takeaway

The sudden resignation of a district court judge after less than a year on the bench is an unusual occurrence that raises questions about the reasons behind Tillman's departure. The appointment of a new judge is an important decision that can impact the local justice system, and the public will have an opportunity to provide commentary on the applicants before the final selection is made.