birminghamal.gov
Presiding Municipal Court Judge Andra Sparks will retire in May after years of distinguished service to the residents of Birmingham. Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has appointed Judge LaResha D. Cade-Spearman to serve as the next Presiding Judge of the Birmingham Municipal Court.
“Judge Sparks has served the people of Birmingham with integrity, fairness, and a deep respect for the rule of law,” said Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “On behalf of our entire city, I want to thank him for his steady leadership and unwavering commitment to justice. His work has strengthened our municipal court system and left a lasting impact on our community.”
During his tenure as Presiding Judge of the Birmingham Municipal Court, Judge Andra Sparks transformed the court into a nationally recognized model of innovation, accountability, and compassion. He modernized operations by converting the court from a paper-based mainframe system to a fully paperless and virtual platform, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Under his leadership, the court established groundbreaking specialty dockets — including Drug Court, Gun Court, Mental Health (HOPE) Court, Homeless Court (Turning Point), Community Court, Bilingual Court, and Alabama’s first-ever Veterans Court — securing more than $7.2 million in federal funding to support treatment and accountability initiatives.
He created Pre- and Post-Trial Services, launched the nationally heralded RENEW Driver’s License Recovery Program that has helped thousands regain driving privileges, and reimagined community service through “Life University,” connecting residents to meaningful personal and professional development opportunities. Under his leadership, Common Ground, a 501(c)(3) organization, in partnership with Birmingham Municipal Court and Birmingham City Schools, has impacted the lives of more than 1,500 students by equipping them with critical life skills, including anger management, conflict resolution, and social-emotional development.
Through innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to addressing root causes, Judge Sparks strengthened the justice system while expanding pathways to stability for individuals and families across Birmingham. He is a 1981 graduate of West End High School, a 1985 graduate of Tuskegee Institute, and a 1988 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law.
Judge Sparks will officially retire in May, and Judge Cade-Spearman will assume the role of Presiding Judge upon his departure.
Judge Cade-Spearman currently serves as a full-time Municipal Court Judge for the City of Birmingham, having been appointed by the Birmingham City Council on March 29, 2022. She presently presides over the domestic violence docket, where she has earned a reputation for her firm, compassionate, and community-centered approach to justice.
Prior to her judicial appointment, Cade-Spearman served as a senior attorney in the Office of the City Attorney, working as a trial attorney in the Litigation Division. In that role, she defended the City against claims including negligence, civil rights violations, municipal liability, excessive force, personnel appeals, wrongful termination, and personal injury cases in both state and federal courts.
In 2008, she was appointed as a special prosecutor to help spearhead the creation of a municipal drug court in Birmingham. Through that effort, she became the first female municipal drug court prosecutor in Alabama. Throughout her prosecutorial career, she handled a wide range of criminal cases and helped develop multiple accountability courts serving the Birmingham community.
A proud product of Birmingham City Schools, Cade-Spearman earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University and her Juris Doctor from Miles Law School.
