{{Short description|American judge (born 1944)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} '''Terry Lucas Butts'''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinamerica0000unse_i3r7/page/104/mode/2up|title=Who's Who in American Law, 1996-1997|year=1996|publisher=Marquis Who's Who|page=104}}</ref> (born February 15, 1944) is an American lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 1994 to 1998.
==Early life, education, and career== Born in Patsburg, Crenshaw County, Alabama,<ref name="Election 94">"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-election-94-associa/172991 Election '94 - Associate Justice]", ''The Anniston Star'' (November 4, 1994), Election '94 special section, p. 11.</ref> to Ezra Lucas Butts and Nata Watson Butts,<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-obituary-for-e/173006806/ Obituary for Ezra Lucas BUTTS]", ''The Montgomery Advertiser'' (November 12, 2004), p. 23.</ref> Butts received a B.A. from Troy University, followed by a J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1968.<ref name="Election 94"/><ref name="AG">"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-attorney-general/172992648/ Attorney General]", ''The Huntsville Times'' (October 30, 1998), p. S-4.</ref> He engaged in private practice for eight years.<ref name="AG"/>
==Judicial service and later life== He served a five-year term as a city judge in Elba, Alabama, and served as county judge for Coffee County, Alabama, before being elected as a circuit judge for Pike and Coffee counties three times, being the presiding judge of the circuit for the last several years.<ref name="Election 94"/>
In 1994, Butts ran as a Democrat for a seat on the Supreme Court of Alabama vacated by the retirement of Justice Henry B. Steagall II, winning election to the office.<ref name="Election 94"/><ref name="App History">{{cite web|url=https://judicial.alabama.gov/Appellate/SC_History |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119013406/https://judicial.alabama.gov/Appellate/SC_History | archive-date=January 19, 2022 |title=Alabama Appellate Courts: History of Supreme Court|publisher=Judiciary of Alabama|access-date=September 27, 2023}}</ref> He was the first person from Crenshaw County to serve on the court.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greenvilleadvocate.com/2013/01/17/butts-served-as-countys-first-state-supreme-court-justice/|title=Butts served as county's first state Supreme Court Justice|first=Michael|last=Rodgers|date=January 17, 2013|website=The Greenville Advocate}}</ref>
Butts retired from the court in 1998,<ref name="App History"/> running for Attorney General of Alabama that same year, which he lost to William H. Pryor Jr.<ref name="AG"/>
In 2004, when Justice Roy Moore was fighting his expulsion from a seat on the state supreme court, Butts was one of the leading members of Moore's legal team.<ref>Kevin Taylor, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-moore-starts-l/173050260/ Moore starts last appeal]", ''The Montgomery Advertiser'' (August 3, 2004), p. 9.</ref> In 2017, it was speculated that Butts might run for a seat in the state senate,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.alreporter.com/2017/11/03/speculation-judge-terry-butts-running-senate/ | title=Speculation has Judge Terry Butts running for Senate | date=November 3, 2017 }}</ref> though this did not materialize. In 2023, the Troy University Alumni Association announced that Butts would serve as legal counsel to its board of directors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://today.troy.edu/news/troy-university-alumni-association-announces-new-board-officers/|title=Troy University Alumni Association announces new board officers|first=Andy|last=Ellis|date=February 27, 2023|website=Troy Today}}</ref>
==Personal life== Butts married his wife Suzanne, with whom he had two children.<ref name="AG"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box |title=Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama |before=Henry B. Steagall II |after=Champ Lyons |years=1994–1998}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butts, Terry L.}}
Category:1944 births Category:People from Crenshaw County, Alabama Category:Troy University alumni Category:University of Alabama School of Law alumni Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of Alabama Category:Living people Category:20th-century Alabama state court judges