Judge dismisses suit by suspended Alabama chief justice

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore faced a minor setback in his case over orders he gave to the state’s probate judges following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Mr. Staver said that Liberty Counsel is weighing whether to appeal the ruling.

Staver pointed to Moore being the top potential candidate for Alabama governor in a recent poll as proof of the judge’s popularity in Alabama. Knowing Alabama they will probably elect the Christianist crackpot.

Moore sued the Judicial Inquiry Commission in May saying it violated his rights by suspending him when it filed the ethics charges.

In its decision today, the federal court noted it was honoring the rights of the State of Alabama by allowing its processes to continue, and stated that a federal court ruling on Moore’s case would interrupt that process.

Moore has been a vocal supporter of marriage and Alabama’s marriage protection laws, the state’s 1998 Defense of Marriage Act and the 2006 state constitutional amendment defining marriage, which were approved by a substantial majority (81.2 percent) of Alabama residents and have been the subject of ongoing litigation.

“This billboard serves as a reminder that Roy Moore is unfit to serve the people of Alabama on our highest court, and should be removed and censured for his obstructionist tactics”, Kendrick said in a press release announcing the billboard. “Please pray for Judge Moore, his family, our families and our nation”, the email states.

U.S. District Judge Harold Albritton issued the order Thursday after talking with lawyers from both sides of the lawsuit. In July the JIC argued Moore should be immediately and permanently removed from office.

The six charges against Moore are the result of an administrative order Moore issued on January 6 in his capacity as the head of the state’s courts.

In March 2015, before the Obergefell ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court issued an order telling probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. The court suspended Moore with pay until it decides on the matter.