The opinion
I recuse myself. When the underlying action was filed in the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court on May 12, 2000, I was one of the six circuit judges of that judicial circuit. On May 31, 2000, our presiding circuit judge advised the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court that all six circuit judges had recused themselves in the case because "[b]oth parties are local law firms whose members regularly practice in this circuit." Having recused myself at the trial court level, I consider myself obliged to recuse myself at the appellate court level.