By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Governor Riley has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. Tuesday to name a new chief justice to replace Roy Moore. Several public officials say they expect Riley to name his state finance director, Drayton Nabers, to the job. Nabers joined Riley's Cabinet last year. He previously served as C-E-O and board chairman of Protective Life Insurance Company in Birmingham. Alabama's top judicial job came open in November when the state Court of the Judiciary kicked Moore out of office for failing to obey a federal court order to remove his 10 Commandments monument from public display in the state judicial building. Nabers would serve the two and a-half years remaining in Moore's term.
Meanwhile...Governor Riley's senior adviser, Dalton Smith, is leaving the administration to work in the real estate business in Birmingham. Smith joined the Riley campaign in 2002 as policy director and worked closely with the Governor on developing his Plan for Change campaign platform. Smith says he'll be a partner in S-V-G Properties.