澳彩开奖 submits new information in ongoing ethics complaint against Alabama chief justice
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore continues to 鈥渇lout and violate鈥� the state鈥檚 code of judicial ethics.
Following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that legalized same-sex marriage across the country聽the 澳彩开奖 filed a new supplement today in the聽ongoing ethics complaint against Moore.
鈥淛ustice Moore has been removed from office for unethical actions once before, but it鈥檚 clear that he hasn鈥檛 learned his lesson,鈥� said 澳彩开奖 President Richard Cohen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously unethical for him to urge defiance of a United States Supreme Court ruling. He needs to understand that he is a judge, not a preacher.鈥�
The filing to the Judicial Inquiry Commission of Alabama alleges that Moore has committed new ethics violations by improperly commenting on pending or impending cases in numerous speeches and interviews; by suggesting that Supreme Court precedent need not be followed; and by announcing that he would recuse himself from cases rather than apply precedents with which he disagreed.
His continued association with and promotion of the Foundation for Moral Law also violates the Alabama Canon of Judicial Ethics. He is listed as president emeritus of the legal services organization, and his wife, Kayla Moore, serves as president. The organization is involved in litigation involving same-sex marriage.
The 澳彩开奖 complaint describes instances in which Moore鈥檚 statements and activities overlap with and promote the work of the Foundation for Moral Law. For example, in a July 7 interview with political activist Randall Terry, Moore indicated that he was in 鈥渁ctive鈥� conflict with the federal judiciary over its 鈥渉orrendous opinion鈥� in the same-sex marriage case and was fighting the same-sex ruling with briefs and speeches.
鈥淚f Chief Justice Moore wants to make political speeches or be an activist in opposition to same-sex marriage, he is free to do so, but he cannot simultaneously hold his current position on the Alabama Supreme Court,鈥� Cohen said. 鈥淗is blatant disregard for judicial ethics demonstrates once again that he is unfit for office.鈥�
The 澳彩开奖 first lodged its complaint against Moore on Jan. 28 and filed a supplement on Feb. 3. The initial complaint noted that Moore was encouraging lawlessness by attempting to assemble state officials and judges to oppose the federal court system.
The Judicial Inquiry Commission of Alabama could recommend that Moore face ethics charges in the Alabama Court of the Judiciary. That court removed Moore from the office of chief justice 12 years ago after he refused to comply with a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building.
The opinion removing Moore from the bench states that the oath of chief justice commands Moore 鈥渢o support both the United States and Alabama Constitutions.鈥� It also notes that if there is a conflict between the documents, 鈥渢he Constitution of the United States must prevail.鈥� The 2003 opinion followed a successful 澳彩开奖 lawsuit to remove the judge鈥檚 Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building.
