The end of year is always a good time to reflect on one's blessings in life and to give thanks for them. Among my many blessings has been serving the people of Cullman County for nearly 20 years, first as a District Court Judge, and later as a Circuit Court Judge. I love our county, and I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to have played a small role in helping to provide, along with so many others in the legal community, a forum for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
I often tell people that, unfortunately, putting on a black judge's robe does not make me any smarter and it certainly doesn't make me infallible. But I have done my best to rule fairly and impartially in every case brought before me and to apply the law equally to everyone, without fear or favoritism. I'm sure that 5 years from now most people will have forgotten I ever served as a judge in this judicial circuit, if indeed they every knew, but my hope is that over the past 20 years I've made some small contribution that has helped to improve the delivery of justice for the people of our amazing community.
My long-held belief has been that any person who holds a position of authority should, ideally, not crave the position overly much or seek to hold it for too long. In keeping with this philosophy, my personal inclination was to retire a few years ago, but I felt compelled to stay a little longer to help provide some institutional continuity in our local courts. I recognize that none of us who play a role in the administration of justice is indispensable but choosing the best time to go has been a difficult decision to make. Experience certainly has value with any trade or profession, but as I approach an age where retirement looms in the not-too distant future, I am better able to appreciate the benefits of having a younger judge who can bring renewed vigor and perhaps new insights to the job.
Being elected to make decisions that affect people's lives in often very profound ways is a great privilege, and I am eternally grateful to the people for entrusting me with that authority for so many years. But it is also a burden that I am now ready to lay down, and my plan is to retire from the bench on January 26, 2026. And I do so without reservation, confident that justice will continue to be meted out in our community fairly and impartially by some of the best people I've ever had an opportunity to know.
To my fellow judges, past and present, and their staffs; my judicial assistants, past and present; my court reporter; the Circuit Court Clerks and their staffs; all of our local elected officials and their staffs over the past two decades; the District Attorneys and their staffs; the many lawyers in private practice and their employees; the Sheriffs and the entire county, state and municipal law enforcement community; our local state, county and juvenile probation officers; Cullman County social workers; my friends and supporters who encouraged me to seek judicial office and worked to keep me there through four elections; and the hundreds of jurors who have served during my tenure; each of you have my respect, my gratitude for your many acts of kindness, and my deep affection. I will greatly miss the daily interaction with so many of my friends and colleagues within the legal community after my retirement, but it gives me some comfort knowing that while I will not see you as often, the relationships forged over the past decades will most certainly endure.
And, of course, I cannot forget to thank my incredible family who have been with me on this wonderful journey and have been so supportive every step of the way. Without their help, patience and understanding my service would not have been possible.
As I prepare to leave for private life, I have no doubt that the administration of civil and criminal justice in Cullman County will continue to be exemplary in the years ahead. May God continue to bestow His blessings and give wisdom and discernment to all those who help deliver justice.
Sincerely,
Greg Nicholas