ALTON – Another judge substitution marks the latest delay in an ongoing legal battle between Mayor David Goins and the Alton City Council.
On Aug. 27, 2026, Goins filed a motion through his legal counsel for a substitution of judge in Goins vs. City of Alton, classified as a “Miscellaneous Remedy” case in Madison County court.
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Under state law, each party has the right to request one substitution of judge without providing a reason. This latest request on the mayor’s behalf comes just over two weeks after the City of Alton filed its own judge substitution request.
Judge Dennis Ruth, who had been assigned to the case following the city’s substitution request, recused himself from Goins vs. Alton the same day the mayor’s request was filed. Goins’s motion to substitute the judge was granted the following morning on Aug. 28, 2026.
The case has now been reassigned to Judge Christopher Bauer, and no new hearing date has been set as of this writing.
The court proceedings will ultimately determine whether or not certain actions taken by City Council members earlier this year are legally enforceable. These include removing mayoral appointees from office before their terms have expired and attempting to place certain new billing requirements on city attorneys.
Goins was granted a temporary restraining order on July 30, 2026 which blocked the City Council from enacting or enforcing the challenged ordinances and temporarily reinstated the two ousted employees pending further hearings and court orders.
While the temporary restraining order has since expired, both parties agreed on Aug. 12, 2026 to “maintain the status quo” until the case can be heard in court.
