by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
August 6, 2025

The Alabama Ethics Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to adopt an advisory opinion allowing district attorneys to be compensated for another job done outside working hours for their public work.

Staff applied an advisory opinion issued by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office that stated that while district attorneys and assistant district attorneys are on call at all hours, they are not considered working unless they are summoned to work in their official capacity.

“We concur with that opinion and do not consider time outside of regular business hours as time for the purposes of 5-C,” said Brian Paterson, assistant general counsel for the Alabama Ethics Commission.

5-C is a rule prohibits public service employees and officials from using public office for private gain.

The Alabama Ethics Commission in 1998 ruled that a police chief is always working and could not work anywhere while the individual is serving as police chief.

“This opinion would overrule that ‘98 opinion,” Paterson said.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

The post Alabama Ethics Commission: DAs can do jobs outside official working hours appeared first on alabamareflector.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article reports on the Alabama Ethics Commission’s unanimous decision to allow district attorneys to work outside their official hours without violating ethics rules. The language is neutral and factual, focusing on the technicalities of the advisory opinion and its implications without editorializing or framing the decision as politically charged. It simply explains the legal and procedural aspects of the ruling, citing relevant officials and previous decisions. There is no evident ideological slant or partisan framing, indicating balanced, straightforward reporting.

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Streaming on “News 5 Now”: A violent brawl caught on camera, a new look coming to an old Mobile theater, and our latest Weather Radio Programming event is today.

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SUMMARY: A man jumped into the water from the Bayway bridge after crashing his car into the side early Wednesday morning. The driver, appearing uninjured and standing waist-deep about 500 yards from shore, was rescued quickly by first responders using a rope rescue due to rising tides. Firefighters, training twice yearly for such rescues, successfully brought him to safety and transported him to the hospital despite his initial reluctance to be rescued. The incident caused westbound traffic on I-10 to halt during rush hour. The driver’s reasons for jumping remain unclear.

A water rescue this morning on the Bayway at the height of rush hour.  A man jumped into the water after crashing his car into the side of the bridge.

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