Alabama chief justice could be removed because of anti-gay marriage stance

CB Condez Monday, May 09, 2016

Chief Justice Roy Moore of Alabama is at risk of being removed from the bench once again, this time because of his views on same-sex marriage.

A rainbow flag is held up by gay marriage activists in front of the Supreme Court in this file photo. | Reuters

The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission has filed an ethics complaint against the chief justice on May 6. It says that Moore has, among other things, abused "his authority as chief admistrative office of the state's court system." He is currently under suspension, and a trial, according to NJToday, is being set up at the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.

"The JIC has chosen to listen to people like Ambrosia Starling, a professed transvestite, and other gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, as well as organizations which support their agenda," Moore said on Friday, as quoted by the Associated Press. "We intend to fight this agenda vigorously and expect to prevail."

Even though the U.S. Supreme Court has already legalized same-sex marriage in the country, Moore has been trying to block such unions in the state. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a judicial ethics complaint against Moore, which has led to the charges, as he reportedly "urged state and local officials to violate a binding court order" and he is said to have repeatedly given comments on pending cases.

"Moore has disgraced his office for far too long," SPLC president Richard Cohen said. "He's such a religious zealot, such an egomaniac that he thinks he doesn't have to follow federal court rulings he disagrees with. For the good of the state, he should be kicked out of office."

According to the initial complaint filed in January 2015, Moore has urged Alabama's governor as well as its judges to violate federal law and impose the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

The third supplement for the complaint dated Jan. 6 says, "Chief Justice Moore has today issued an administrative order to all Alabama probate judges advising them that they have a 'duty' to continue to enforce Alabama's law prohibiting same-sex marriage in direct contravention of a federal injunction instructing them to do the opposite."

The first time that Moore was removed from the bench was in 2003 when he refused to follow a federal court order that says the Ten Commandments monument at the state judicial building should be removed. He was re-elected in 2012.