Alice Martin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Martin
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Attorney General of Alabama Acting |
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In office February 9, 2017 – February 10, 2017 |
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Governor | Robert Bentley |
Preceded by | Luther Strange |
Succeeded by | Steve Marshall |
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama | |
In office September 29, 2001 – June 8, 2009 |
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President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Doug Jones |
Succeeded by | Joyce White Vance |
Personal details | |
Born |
Alice Howze
1955/1956 (age 69–70) Sledge, Mississippi, U.S |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Vanderbilt University (BSN) University of Mississippi, Oxford (JD) |
Alice H. Martin (born 1955/56) is an American lawyer. She served as the Chief Deputy Attorney General for the state of Alabama. Before that, she was a United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama from 2001 to 2009. A United States Attorney is a top lawyer who represents the U.S. government in a specific region.
President George W. Bush chose her for the U.S. Attorney role in 2001. During her time, her office helped recover a lot of money from healthcare fraud. They also held many elected and appointed officials accountable for breaking rules. In 2017, Alice Martin was the acting Attorney General of Alabama for a very short time. An Attorney General is the main legal advisor to the state government. She left her U.S. Attorney job in June 2009, after President Barack Obama took office.
Early Life and Education
Alice Martin grew up in Sledge, Mississippi. She has lived in Alabama since 1988.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Vanderbilt University. She is also a Registered Nurse. While studying law, she worked as a nurse. In 1981, she received her law degree (Juris Doctor) from the University of Mississippi.
Career
Alice Martin started her legal career in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1981. Soon after, she began working for the government. From 1983 to 1990, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She focused on cases involving financial crimes and legal issues for government hospitals.
After moving to Alabama, she worked in private law. She specialized in defending insurance companies. In 1997, Governor Fob James appointed her as a Circuit Court Judge for Lauderdale County, Alabama. She filled a judicial term that had not yet ended.
Martin is allowed to practice law in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. She is also certified in areas like fraud examination and healthcare compliance.
U.S. Attorney
After trying to run for office and not winning, Alice Martin went back to private law. Then, in September 2001, President George W. Bush nominated her. She became the first woman to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. She took over from Doug Jones, who later became a U.S. Senator.
During her eight years in this role (2001-2009), she was recognized for her work. She led a special team that helped get back a lot of money lost due to healthcare fraud. She also led another team that made sure public officials and contractors followed the rules. This led to many people, including the Mayor of Birmingham and other leaders, being held accountable. Martin also led the legal action against a big company called HealthSouth for a huge accounting fraud. This resulted in many company leaders being found responsible for breaking the law.
After leaving her public job, Martin worked for a hospital company from 2010 to 2012. She then became an expert in healthcare compliance. Later, she returned to public service as a Deputy Attorney General for the Alabama Department of Public Examiners. This agency checks the finances of the State of Alabama.
Deputy Attorney General
In April 2015, Attorney General Luther Strange chose Alice Martin to be his Chief Deputy Attorney General. In this role, she managed the legal and administrative work of the Attorney General's Office for Alabama. She oversaw an important investigation involving the sitting Governor, Robert J. Bentley. This investigation helped ensure fairness and accountability.
When Attorney General Strange resigned on February 9, 2017, Alice Martin served as the acting Attorney General for one day. Then, Governor Robert J. Bentley appointed Steve Marshall to the position. After this, she resigned from her office to run for Attorney General of Alabama herself. In the Republican primary election on June 18, 2018, she finished third.