I was born and raised in beautiful Colbert County, and I attended Muscle Shoals City Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. I was born on October 10, 1970 at Colbert County Hospital to Jerry and Sue Russell Miller. My dad was raised in Florence and graduated from Coffee High School, along with his five brothers and sisters. My dad's father was a carpenter and built their family home. My mom was raised in Tuscumbia, along with her four brothers and sisters, and they all graduated from Deshler High School in the late '60s and early '70s. Her dad, my grandfather, H.M. "Bunk" Russell, retired from TVA, where he worked at the Colbert Steam Plant for many years and was a Teamster.

      My parents were married in 1969 and bought a home in Muscle Shoals, where my dad started working as a machinist in a tool and die company when he was 20, worked his way up to plant supervisor, and still works there today, 40 years later. He worked long, hard hours all of his life to provide for my mom, my little brother, Jeff, who is married to the former Stephanie Kimbrough of Leighton, and me. My mom, who is now a local realtor, started working outside the home when my brother and I were small, and she did an amazing job balancing her life as a mother and an employee. She was also very active in my childhood church, which was co-founded by my great-grandfather, Oscar "O.C." Agee, and I was blessed to have Mom as a Sunday school and Vacation Bible School teacher.

      My parents instilled a strong work ethic in my brother and me, and we have carried that with us into our adult lives. My brother and I attended Muscle Shoals City Schools, and I graduated from Muscle Shoals High School in 1989. I developed many wonderful friendships during my school years, and it was exciting to recently rekindle many of those friendships as we attended our 20th high school reunion!

      After high school, I attended Northwest Shoals Community College on an academic scholarship and went on to finish at the University of North Alabama. During college, I worked for a local law firm to help pay for my education, and it was through my work that I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I graduated from UNA in the spring of 1993, and, at that time, I was the first member of my extended family to graduate from college.

    After graduating from UNA, I began working full time for local attorneys, but I never gave up my dream of going to law school. In 1996, after going back to school at night for an early childhood development certification, I started a local child care center, Kid Safari, from the ground up, including designing the facility, and I enjoyed a successful business in Muscle Shoals before selling it to a competitor.

      In May 1998, I was finally able to realize my dream of going to law school. I worked full time all three years of law school while attending classes at night, as this was the only way I could afford to pay for my legal education. I graduated from Birmingham School of Law in August 2001, and I passed the bar exam in February 2002.

      From 2002 to mid-2005 I practiced as an insurance defense lawyer for a very large statewide defense firm, where I handled many different cases ranging from workers' compensation to medical malpractice defense. In the summer of 2005 after praying for guidance, I left the firm and began representing injured workers and citizens. It has been a very personally rewarding experience, and I have made many lifelong friends along the way.

      People who have been seriously injured often don't know where to turn for help. Many can no longer work because of their injuries, and they are terrified that they will lose everything they have worked for all their lives. It has been humbling to represent many local individuals and families who need our legal system the most. The vast majority of my clients have never been involved in a lawsuit, and they need my guidance every step of the way. Earlier this year, I added consumer bankruptcy as a practice area after I saw many local families directly impacted by the economic decline in our country.

      Because I was raised in Colbert County, attended our public schools, and now represent our local individuals and families, I identify with the needs and concerns of our citizens. I am not an elitist, and I am not a career politician. When I found out Judge Carpenter was going to retire, I began to pray about it, and I am very excited about the opportunity to be your next District Court Judge! I am not running for office for power or prestige. I am a regular, hard working person just like the other people in this great area, and I know that I can make a positive influence on the lives of our Colbert County people if I am elected. I have friends from all walks of life, and I genuinely care about people. I am an advocate for workers' and victims' rights, and I have supported, volunteered, and raised money for worthy local organizations.

      When it comes to a judge, we all want the same thing -- equal access to the system, a speedy trial, and fair, unbiased decisions in our cases based upon the law and the facts of each individual case. And that is exactly what you will get from me if I receive your vote. Many people in our country have become weary of the legal system, and for good reason. Some of our nation's elected officials have forgotten the people who elected them, and the notion of "public servant" has gone out the window. You have my word that if I am elected, I will remember the reason I am there, and I will fulfill my responsibilities ethically. Every single person who comes before me will get a fair shake, and your case will be decided based on the law and the facts of your case. I will rule on your case in a reasonable period of time, and I will always be unbiased and fair.

If I can answer any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. I will return all calls and respond to all e-mails within 24 hours.

Yours truly,

Tina Miller Parker