Alabama district judge suspended and accused of letting child abuse cases ‘languish,’ complaint says

OZARK, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama district judge who presides over cases in juvenile court was suspended after a state-led investigation that looked at hundreds of cases and took over a year to complete. A panel that investigates ethics accusations against judges filed a complaint against Dale County district judge Stuart Smith on Monday. Smith was also assigned juvenile court cases that involved abuse, neglect or parents attempting to reunite with their children in addition to small claims, child support and civil court cases. The complaint filed by the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission alleges Smith let cases languish, sometimes for years.