Alabama Chief Justice Suspended for Rest of Term Following SPLC Ethics Complaint

 

The Alabama Court of the Judiciary today suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore for the rest of his term in office.

The Court ruled that Moore violated the canons of judicial ethics by ordering Alabama's probate judges to defy a federal court injunction requiring them to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on a non-discriminatory basis. This is the second time in 13 years that Moore has been sanctioned as a result of ethics complaints filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“The Court of the Judiciary has done the citizens of Alabama a great service by suspending Roy Moore from the bench,” said SPLC President Richard Cohen.

“He disgraced his office and undermined the integrity of the judiciary by putting his personal religious beliefs above his sworn duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

“Moore was elected to be a judge, not a preacher. It's something that he never seemed to understand. The people of Alabama who cherish the rule of law are not going to miss the Ayatollah of Alabama.” 

Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center