The Pike County Republican Committee heard from state Supreme Court candidate Kelli Wise in its quarterly meeting Thursday night.

Wise, who is currently a presiding judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, has served in that office for the last nine years.

A graduate of Jones Law School, Wise found her way to the calling of public service.

But, she spent a little time getting there.

Wise graduated first with a bachelors degree in nursing and biology, something she quickly realized she didn’t want to do.

So, she went to work with Proctor and Gamble and stayed there for several years.

At the age of 27, Wise hesitantly entered law school, bringing her closer to her current career.

After working as a private practice lawyer in two offices and serving as the staff attorney for the Criminal Court of Appeals for six years, Wise put her name in the hat for her current judgeship.

And, she won, with the majority of the state’s support, including the majority of Pike County.

“Pike County has been very good to me,” Wise said.

“I have carried Pike County in the last two elections, and I’m hoping for a repeat.”

Wise said her experience as judge for the Criminal Court of Appeals has qualified her for this role on the Supreme Court.

“During my time on the Criminal Court of Appeals, I’ve handled one of the largest case loads in the nation,” Wise said.

“Each judge has about 407 cases year.

“I’m ready to go to work from day one. I don’t have to be trained as a judge.”