AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
October 14, 2016
Issue
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore Thrown Out of Office; His Staff Fired!
Details
On September 30th, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended — thrown out of office — until his term ends January 2019. The Court of the Judiciary needed a unanimous vote in order to “officially” kick him out, but they couldn’t get that required number, so they simply changed the rules and suspended him for the remainder of his term. Because he will have reached his 70th birthday before January 2019, he will not be permitted to run for a judicial office again. Additionally, suspension for life removes the Chief Justice from the bench without pay, insurance and prohibits him from drawing on his retirement. This ludicrous decision has been appealed.
NOTE: Judge Moore’s crime was not about an ethics violation, but that he unashamedly supports natural marriage. The charges focused solely on his Administrative Order issued in January 2016, in which he wrote that the 2015 orders of the Alabama Supreme Court regarding same-sex “marriage” remained in effect until the Court held otherwise. Chief Justice Moore did not participate in the 2015 orders, which ruled that the state’s Probate Judges must uphold the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Act. The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission lacks authority to render legal opinions when it disagrees with a judge’s interpretation of the law.
Judge Moore’s suspension has been appealed, but in the meantime the acting Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Lyn Stuart has taken it upon herself to remove all references to Chief Justice Moore! She has removed Chief Justice Roy Moore’s name from the Supreme Court’s letterhead. She sent demand letters to Judge Moore demanding that he remove all his personal items from his office by October 18th (but only while accompanied by a marshal!), return all keys and her staff will open any official looking mail with Judge Moore’s name on it. Read the letters-to-chief-justice-moore. Stuart has also fired Judge Moore’s law clerks!
Click here for more details and action steps.
