Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday officially announced the appointment of Ronald Smith to serve as Madison County circuit judge in Alabama’s 23rd Judicial Circuit.
“Ron Smith is the right fit for the Madison County Circuit Court bringing more than two decades of successful prosecutorial and general legal practice experience capped by two years behind the bench as District Court Judge,” said Ivey. “The same high caliber of legal scholarship and judicial temperament that led me to appoint him as District Judge in 2023 make him the best choice to serve Madison County on the Circuit Court.”
Ronald Smith began his legal career in 2001 as assistant Madison County district attorney, prosecuting a range of cases from misdemeanor and traffic violations to juvenile delinquency and felony cases. In 2003, he transitioned into private legal practice specializing in criminal defense, appellate and juvenile law, carrying him through three different law firms before establishing his own legal practice in 2013. In 2023,. Ivey appointed Smith to serve as district judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit in Madison County where he rose to become presiding judge in 2025.
“It has been an honor and privilege to have served as Madison County District Judge and I am deeply honored and thankful for the opportunity and the trust placed in me by Governor Kay Ivey to serve Madison County as its newest circuit judge,” said Smith.
A Birmingham native, Smith is a 1998 graduate of The University of Alabama at Birmingham and in 2000 received his Juris Doctorate from the The University of Alabama School of Law. He and his wife, Lydia, have four children.
Smith’s appointment is effective immediately.
