Roy Moore suspended

[topane]

From MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.com/news/954934.asp?0cv=CA01):
MONTGOMERY, Ala., Aug. 22 — The chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court was suspended Friday pending an ethics investigation for his defiance of a federal judge’s order that he remove a monument to the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the state judicial building.

CHIEF JUSTICE Roy Moore’s actions next face a hearing before the state Court of the Judiciary after the Judicial Inquiry Commission found merit in complaints that he violated ethics rules for ignoring U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson’s order.
Moore, who was suspended with pay, will have 30 days to respond to the Court of the Judiciary, which holds trial-like proceedings and can discipline and remove judges.
He is absolutely determined to become a martyr!

[Division By Zero]

Originally posted by topane
From MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.com/news/954934.asp?0cv=CA01):

He is absolutely determined to become a martyr!
A martyr who's still getting paid, no less.

Unless they decide to kick him out of the courthouse for good... but he's probably counting on it.

[reprise]

I just hope that someone offers him his own TV Show. We don't have enough eccentrics on the judiciary over here so we need to experience their wisdom vicariously through early afternoon television.

[ataraxy]

Hate to mention this, but this kook is a lock for governor in AL now if he wants it. I suspect he does.:boohoo:

[JonathanChance]

Originally posted by ataraxy
Hate to mention this, but this kook is a lock for governor in AL now if he wants it. I suspect he does.:boohoo:


Hopefully people in Alabama aren't that stupid....

[Kevin Dorner]

Moore Relents (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33748-2003Aug22.html)

After defying a federal court order and drawing hundreds of cheering Christian activists to this capital city, Alabama's crusading chief justice conceded today and said that he will not try to block the removal of his 2-ton Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the Supreme Court building.

...

The suspension drew angry reprisals from demonstrators, who have massed outside the Supreme Court for three days of prayer vigils.

cc: Wire

[JonathanChance]

Oh boy, once they begin moving this rock, the Montgomery Police Department (Or whichever Law Enforcement Agency is responsible for the Judicial Building) is going to very busy. I hope they are up on thier crowd control tactics.

On another note, this picture (http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/images/I34610-2003Aug22L) is just screaming "Photoshop me!".

[conkermaniac]

Originally posted by JonathanChance
Hopefully people in Alabama aren't that stupid.... I'd hate to generalize because we have a few rational, intelligent Alabamans on this forum, but most Alabamans are that stupid. :(

[bleubird]

i have made fun of people from below the mason/dickson line many times in my life.And , on most occations my comments have been rude.However,I must say these cretians are the most ignorant lifeform.

[Division By Zero]

From the article posted by Kevin Dorner:

"Maybe they can move the monument, but they can't take it out of our hearts," said Rich Kendall, 52, who stood steps from the courthouse doors with a 10-foot-tall wooden cross that read "Jesus Died For You."
Hah! What happened to "We will overcome" and "We won't let them take it?"

The article says they're praying for a miracle to prevent the rock from moving. I can't wait to see what God does.

[sakrilege]

Is there any mention of the bible in the US constitution or in any state constitution?

[Feather]

From Faux News (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95416,00.html):

"What this federal judge has said is that we cannot acknowledge God," Moore told Fox News Friday. "My battle is not with the justices of the court, my colleagues, my battle is with the federal government, who has come in and told us how to think, who we can believe in."



More of the typical misdirection and wordplay. The Federal judges aren't telling people who they can believe in; they're telling this justice that he cannot use the authority of his public office to promote a specific religion.

I hate these fundies. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Grumpy]

Originally posted by conkermaniac
I'd hate to generalize because we have a few rational, intelligent Alabamans on this forum, but most Alabamans are that stupid. :(

With exceptions, of course. I imagine the long-range plan for Huntsville is to strap rockets to the hole city and blast off into some other state. Western Tennessee wouldn't be so bad. Or maybe they'll form an Atlantis-type conclave in the Gulf of Mexico.

While the folks of Austin, TX say, "Take us, too!"

"Maybe they can move the monument, but they can't take it out of our hearts," said Rich Kendall...

Actually, Rich, that sounds like an ideal solution. Why didn't Roy think of that in the first place?

[Jewel]

What I've never been able to understand is why anyone would want the government to promote any religion, actively or otherwise. If they can promote Moore's brand of religion then they could just as easily promote someone elses. The folks that are crying persecution strike me as being very short sighted.

Moore, however, is just an opportunist out to get notoriety. Well, he's got it -- and I wouldn't be one bit surprised to find him running for political office. He and others like him just make me ill.

[Daggah]

Originally posted by sakrilege
Is there any mention of the bible in the US constitution or in any state constitution?

In the US Constitution, at least, no.

[Stephen Maturin]

You can download a PDF copy of the ethics complaint that the Judicial Inquiry Commission filed against Moore by right-clicking here (http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/religion/inremoore82203cmp.pdf). He's charged with six separate violations of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics.

The relevant provision of the Alabama Constitution sez:

6.19. Disqualification.

A judge shall be disqualified from acting as a judge, without loss of salary, while there is pending (1) an indictment or an information charging him in the United States with a crime punishable as a felony under a state or federal law, or (2) a complaint against him filed by the judicial inquiry commission with the court of the judiciary.

So it looks like the suspension remains in effect as long as the ethics proceeding lasts.

[beejay]

Each one of the complaints against Moore ends with:

he willfully failed to comply with an
existing and binding court order directed to him.

So this is essentially one action that violates various sections of Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics?

In any case:

What do you think the result will be?

What should the result be (legally, not what evil desires you have in your heart)?

[SLD]

The canons are here:

Alabama Canon of Judicial Ethics (http://www.alalinc.net/jic/docs/cans2000.pdf)


Canon Two states as follows:

CANON 2.

A. A judge should respect and comply with the law and should conduct himself at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

B. A judge should at all times maintain the decorum and temperance befitting his office and should avoid conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the judicial office into disrepute.



It seems to me that he has not complied with the law as he has violated a direct order from a Federal Judge, but I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that the Court of the Judiciary will find some wiggle room in that. Who knows.


SLD

[niggle]

Originally posted by JonathanChance
Hopefully people in Alabama aren't that stupid....

It's Alabama, of course they are! There trying to take over Mississippi as the worst state in the US. Moore for governor would put them over the top. (or under the bottom) ;)

[Ronin]

It's Alabama, of course they are! There trying to take over Mississippi as the worst state in the US. Moore for governor would put them over the top. (or under the bottom)

Careful now...I've heard that there is a movement afoot in Mississippi to bring secular humanism to the general populace.

http://www.platinumgamers.net/forums/images/smilies/ridinghorse.gif

[Ultimate Atheist]

There are a lot of people in Alabama that are upset with Moore because of the way he's handled this situation. You're just hearing the rabid supporters because that's what the media wants you to hear. Atheists and even christians have protested keeping the monument.

One of the local new teams actually got lots of comments against Moore. Several people said that they were christians and believed in the 10 commandments but that it wasn't right to display it in a public place because it made people feel like they wouldn't be treated fairly. A few people commented that if Moore thought it was ok when he put it there that he wouldn't have had to sneak it there in the middle of the night.

You're just hearing what the media wants you to hear. Not everyone here is that stupid. Unfortunately there may be enough Moore supporters to elect him Governor. If that happens I will have to move.

[ohwilleke]

I have no doubt he will be found guilty (well not much), but the punishment will be the hard issue. I could imagine anything from a public reprimand to a removal from office.

[Godless Dave]

Originally posted by Judge Moore
... my battle is with the federal government, who has come in and told us how to think, who we can believe in."


The nitwit has it backwards. It's he who tried to tell the citizens of Alabama what to believe in, by putting an icon of his religion in a public area of Alabama's courthouse.