Alabama Attorney General Asks Court to Oust State Chief Justice

NewsMax ^ | 11/11/03 | Wires

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

The state attorney general asked a judicial panel on Monday to remove suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore from office for defying a federal judge's order to take his Ten Commandments monument off public display in the state judicial building. In a pretrial brief filed with the Alabama Court of the Judiciary, Attorney General Bill Pryor said Moore should be removed because he "intentionally and publicly engaged in misconduct, and because he remains unrepentant for his behavior."

Pryor's office is prosecuting Moore before the Court of the Judiciary on charges that the chief justice violated judicial canons. The trial-like proceeding begins Wednesday, and the court could remove Moore from office, suspend him, reprimand him or exonerate him.

Moore, who was suspended with pay when charged, expressed doubt Monday that he can receive a fair trial. He said he is concerned that cameras will not be allowed inside the courtroom for most of the trial.

The chief justice is accused of violating judicial ethics when he refused U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson's order to remove the 5,300-pound granite monument from the state building's rotunda. Thompson ruled the monument was an unconstitutional promotion of religion by government.

In August, the Alabama court's eight associate justices had the monument moved out of sight after a protracted legal fight.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused last week to hear Moore's appeal in the case.

[EternalVigilance]

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof, and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land, and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary Notwithstanding.

You really think there is something in the Alabama Constitution or laws that contradicts the U.S. Constitution or the laws of the U.S.?

Dare you to name them.

[GeronL]

At the top of the browser it says 'View' click it, click 'Text size' and choose Largest.

[WackyKat]

The theocrat's intention is to set up their religion as the official religion to which everyone must bow down. An important part of their strategy is to not admit what they're doing so they can sneak in their agenda bit by bit.

It's the same thing with evolution; they say they want "creationism" taught as an alternative scientific theory, when really it is their religious cosmogony wrapped in pseudo-science.

It's all part of their national "stealth agenda" to "take back America"

[Concerned]

WEBWIZARD WROTE: "That no religion shall be established by law; that no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of worship;..."

-----------------------------------------

I AM RESPONDING:
Please explain exactly WHAT religion or "religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of worship" the TEN COMMANDMENTS establishes?

It certainly ISN'T CHRISTIANITY!
It ISN'T JUDIASM!
It ISN'T ISLAM!
It ISN'T HINDUISM!
It ISN'T BUDDAHISM! (sp?)

So, WHAT religion do they establish???

[NutCrackerBoy]

Sorry, I gave the interpretation of the first clause. It should have been the second.

Here are the six clauses:
1. That no religion shall be established by law;
2. That no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of worship;
3. That no one shall be compelled by law to attend any place of worship;
4. Nor to pay any tithes, taxes, or other rate for building or repairing any place of worship, or for maintaining any minister or ministry;
5. That no religious test shall be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under this state;
6. And that the civil rights, privileges, and capacities of any citizen shall not be in any manner affected by his religious principles.

All concern specific injunctions against the state from becoming entangled in the operations of organized churches, and injunctions against curtailing rights.

In this context, the preference mentioned in the second clause could be e.g. a law that exempts only Baptist churches from paying property taxes, or accords Lutherans representation in the legislature, etc.

[EternalVigilance]

Your contention that Judge Moore, or any significant politically active portion of the conservative movement, are theocrats is an out and out lie. They are overwhelmingly republicans--cut from the exact same cloth as the Founders.

Your claim that they are shows a great deal of paranoia on your part.

[garybob]

The state attorney general asked a judicial panel on Monday to remove suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore from office for defying a federal judge's order to take his Ten Commandments monument off public display in the state judicial building.

Bill Pryor is a back-stabbing SOB. Pryor helped defend Judge Moore at the request of then Govenor Fob James for the very same action when Moore hung the 10 Commandments in his courtroom in Etowah County. Pryor then rode Moore's coat tails into office. We need to never forget Pryor for this.

[EternalVigilance]

Are you embarrassed by the fact that you misread the First Amendment exactly like every single Leftist in America?

[WackyKat]

You really think there is something in the Alabama Constitution or laws that contradicts the U.S. Constitution or the laws of the U.S.?

I apologize-I thought your extensive citation of the Alabama Constitution was intended to support the argument that it gave Moore the right to put the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the State Supreme Court.

Now I see that we agree that it gave him no such right and neither does the federal Constitution; I'm glad to see you are on my side

[NutCrackerBoy]

The theocrat's intention is to set up their religion as the official religion to which everyone must bow down.

You haven't given any evidence that any persons are theocrats; nor that anyone is carrying out this diabolical agenda. It appears to be a hallucination on your part.

[EternalVigilance]

Now I see that we agree that it gave him no such right and neither does the federal Constitution; I'm glad to see you are on my side

B.S.

The Attorney General and Judge Moore's colleagues have never once claimed that the monument violated any Alabama law or its Constitution.

Federal Judges continue to make it up as they go, even though they have absolutely NO authority to do so under the First Amendment.

[EternalVigilance]

You still haven't told me which portion of the Alabama Constitution or its laws is at odds with the U.S. Constitution or its laws...much less explained which law Judge Moore violated.

[pollywog]

Bill Pryor should be ashamed, and should be upholding the Alabama and the U.S. Constitutions instead of pandering to the left.

I AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TonyM]

I will give 10 to 1 odds that Roy Moore will either be the next Governor or Senator of Alabama. He only has to choose which one he wants us to vote him in to.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Bill Pryor should be ashamed, and should be upholding the Alabama and the U.S. Constitutions instead of pandering to the left.

I disagree. I thought Rush Limbaugh put it well. If you want a revolution, have at it. Otherwise, even though Moore is correct on the merits, continue to comply with the established legal authority.

[GeekDejure]

You really think there is something in the Alabama Constitution or laws that contradicts the U.S. Constitution or the laws of the U.S.? Dare you to name them.

Oak Hay... Henceforth speakith Judge GeekDejure -- "You are hereby ordered to hopscotch around the sideback with the cheese until your kaloons fracture inside-out"!!!

There... D'ya see how easy it is to make law by judicial edict, Federal and State Constitutions notwithstanding???

Now, ET, I dare you to violate my judicial law !!! ;-))

.

[EternalVigilance]

Compliance is a good thing, when the orders are lawful.

But that is not the case here. Activist liberal judges have finally gone too far. They have become lawless.

Can you name the law that Judge Moore broke?

[EternalVigilance]

Life and Liberty PING!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Concerned]

WEBWIZARD WROTE TO EV: "It wasn't Moore's display of the Ten Commandments per se, but his refusal in his offcial capacity as Chief Justice to allow any other religious displays of a similar nature."

WEBWIZARD ADDED: "Hence the Chief Justice of Alabama was giving a preference to one religion over others...which the Alabama Constitution is pretty clear about, whether you like it or not."

--------------------------------------

I AM RESPONDING:
No, he wasn't. The issue is NOT over establishing ANY SPECIFIC religion or prohibiting ANY SPECIFIC religion!!!!!

The laws of our land are HISTORICALLY BASED on the TEN COMMANDMENTS, NOT on any specific religion!!!!! Although Judiasm and Christianity are ALSO based on the TEN COMMANDMENTS, that in no way means that the TEN COMMANDMENTS establish ANY SPECIFIC religion.

I have talked with Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims and some atheists about the issue and NONE have had ANY problem when I explain it the way I see it:

Let's say you believe that there is ONLY ONE God (not necessarily the Judeo-Christian God). Would THAT ONE God want to have ANY OTHER god before him? Answer: No! Thou shalt have NO OTHER Gods.

Let's say you believe there are EXACTLY THREE gods. Would YOUR THREE gods want ANY OTHER gods before them? Answer: No! Thou shalt have NO OTHER gods!

Let's say you believe there are EXACTLY ONE MILLION gods. Would YOUR MILLION gods want ANY OTHER gods before them claiming to be the MILLION-AND-FIRST god if there are ONLY supposed to be a MILLION? Answer: No! Thou shalt have NO OTHER gods!

Let's say you are an Atheist and believe that there are NO gods--besides yourself, of course. Would YOU want ANY OTHER gods before YOU? Answer: NO! Thou shalt have NO OTHER gods!

Let's say you believed that cows were YOUR gods and you had pictures of cows and statues of cows all over your house, and you worshipped them at every opportunity. To YOU, the COWS are NOT graven images---they are YOUR gods!

How about if you are that Atheist and you had photos of yourself and statues of yourself all over your house. To YOU, those photos and statues are NOT graven images---they are photos and statues of YOUR god---YOU!

The point is that the TEN COMMANDMENTS are the HISTORICAL BASIS of our laws---and do NOT establish ANY religion.