When will Moore's monument be moved? (Who will replace Judge Moore?)

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[Happy2BMe]

When will Moore's monument be moved?

08/25/03By SALLIE OWEN and BILL BARROW
Capital Bureau

MONTGOMERY -- J. Gorman Houston Jr. will begin his first workday as Alabama's acting chief justice today armed with an attorney general's opinion granting him all the duties and authority given the chief justice.

Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended from office immediately after a judicial ethics panel filed charges against him Friday. Charges stem from Moore's refusal to obey a federal court order and remove his Ten Commandments monument from public areas of the Alabama Judicial Building. The suspension lasts until the case is resolved by the Court of the Judiciary.

Moore is expected to make a public statement on the matter today.

Houston said Sunday that in his new role as acting chief justice, he could individually order the building manager to move the monument, as the eight associate justices did together Thursday morning. He said he might issue a duplicate order but had not made a final decision.

Attorney General Bill Pryor issued the opinion Saturday, answering several questions Houston posed a day earlier to clarify his duties and responsibilities as acting chief justice.

The Alabama constitution states that judges shall be disqualified, or suspended, from "acting as a judge" while charges are pending with the Court of the Judiciary. State law specifies that, if the chief justice is "disabled" from carrying out his duties because of illness or other reason, the senior associate justice will assume those responsibilities.

Houston has served as an associate justice on Alabama's Supreme Court for nearly 18 years.

According to the opinion, Houston will also have hiring and firing authority over the administrative director of courts and all members of the chief justice's staff.

Houston said he would not make any personnel changes until after he meets with the associate justices, saying he wanted it to be a "democratic process."

Meanwhile, protesters covered the front portico of the judicial building and dotted downtown street corners for the fifth consecutive day. Temperatures reached 95 degrees in Montgomery, according to the National Weather Service, with a heat index in the triple digits.

The sermons, prayers and hymns of Moore's supporters carried on throughout the day, with a two-hour worship service in the morning, an afternoon prayer service and an evening rally.

Between 500 and 1,000 demonstrators crowded around the building listening to the evening speeches when someone noticed a young man perched on a third-story ledge of the judicial building. The rally went on as planned as Montgomery police and area rescue officials tried to talk the man, who did not appear to be threatening to jump, into coming down.

Protest organizers said the man, who had been around for a few days, largely had kept to himself throughout the weekend. Some said they only knew him by the name "Greg" and had no other information.

Organizer Troy Newman of Operation Rescue called for additional people to camp out over night at the judicial building because "something very critical could happen to the monument tomorrow morning."

No information on plans to move the monument was available from state officials. Moore supporters are expected to file a counter suit in a Mobile federal court today seeking to prevent anyone from moving the 5,300-pound chunk of granite.

The Rev. Patrick Mahoney, head of the Christian Defense Coalition, said the suit will name Alabama's eight remaining Supreme Court justices as defendants.

Mahoney informally addressed Moore supporters during the late afternoon, explaining to them the group's plan to block symbolically any effort to remove the monument. He told protesters "to kneel side-by-side in Christian love" to block authorities or heavy equipment from entering the building to remove the stone.

"But do not lock arms" or resist arrest, he said, before repeating, "Do not, do not lock arms." Mahoney told the group that protest leaders have discussed their civil disobedience procedures with law enforcement personnel. "When a policeman tells you to get up, get up."

Moore's supporters have attracted counter-protesters of their own. Bob Kunst arrived in Montgomery late last week after a 12-hour trip Miami Beach, Fla. A practicing Jew, Kunst said he opposes government displays of religion and wants to highlight that there are people of faith who disagree with Moore's manner of acknowledging the Almighty.

"God doesn't need symbolism. God is God," Kunst said, standing on the corner of Dexter Avenue and McDonough Street.

Kunst held a sign reading, "Sodomites For The Separation of Church and State," a dig at some Moore supporters who have hurled insults at him in recent days. Most of the protesters, however, have been friendly, Kunst said.

Across from Kunst, a small band of Moore supporters displayed a sign of their own: "The wicked shall be turned into Hell."

Also on Sunday, Larry Darby, director of American Atheists' Alabama chapter, announced plans to hold a rally Monday for supporters of separation of church and state. Darby said the event would take place across the street from the judicial building at 11 a.m.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..who the hell appointed you as the leader of the FReepers in Montgomery? Are YOU there?...

No. I'm in Australia.

But that doesn't mean I can't support them, and challenge someone backstabbing them on their home forum.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..Sen. John Kerry came home with a chest of medals...

Oh, I know. I've seen how many times he's waved them in the public's face.

Thanks for pointing out another difference between a liberal like Kerry, and Judge Moore. Have we seen the latter make a big noise about his Vietnam service?

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..whatever happened to the commandment of engraven images? Is it just me...

It's just you. No-one's worshipping the monument.

[Catspaw]

Have we seen the latter make a big noise about his Vietnam service?

You sure are making a big deal of Moore's service.

And I believe Bob Kerrey lost a leg in Nam.

[colorado tanker]

I am still waiting for a firm explanation of where, EXACTLY, this supposed "separation of church and state" is spelled out in the Constitution.

It's in one of the penumbras.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..you sure are making a big deal of Moore's service...

If he won't, I will.

Yes, I think it says a lot about Moore, that he was a company commander in Vietnam. It fits in with the other accomplishments in his lifetime of service to the United States.

But you keep boosting Kerry, mate: I understand your preference for the other team.

[sinkspur]

I'm in Australia.

Australia?

Don't you have a bush fire or some plagues of locusts to bitch to Sydney about?

[hedgetrimmer]

The Alabama Ten Commandments fight is just one more battle in the far left's war to eradicate the West and replace it with a culturally Marxist centralized government power regime.

The evidence is mounting that this is indeed the case.

[Catspaw]

I'm pointing out that others have served. You seem to think Moore's service is something special. It isn't--as evidenced by the way Kerry and Kerrey, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner to boot--turned out.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...you're sure trying to manufacture some kind of war, aren't you? Who the hell appointed you as the leader of the FReepers in Montgomery? Are YOU there? It's easy to sit on the sidelines and put somebody else's butt on the line...

...thinking about that for a moment, why don't you go to Montgomery, Sinky?

I'm in Australia, so I can't go. You're Stateside, and have the time to make literally thousands of posts attacking Moore, and sneering at his Christian supporters. You've got plenty of time on your hands. Why don't you show the courage of your convictions, and get on a plane?

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...you seem to think Moore's service is something special...

Yes, I do. Let me reiterate that:

I think Moore's service is something special.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Why? You're Australian. Why would it matter to you?

[Catspaw]

Then you must applaud Congressional Medal of Honor winner Bob Kerrey for his service as well.

Toss in some cheers for a good friend of mine. He served three tours in Nam and came home with a chestful of medals, just like John Kerry.

[sinkspur]

why don't you go to Montgomery, Sinky?

Can't fit it in.

Between watching D. James Kennedy of TBN talk about the Christian Zodiac, and Benny Hinn heal dose who need da healin', my dance card's full.

[fox0566]

The news media cannot wait for this judge to be tossed in jail for not removing the Ten Commandments! I've been flipping around the channels to compare coverage, and every station has the same song and dance. Of course you would probably expect CNN and other networks to relish Judge Moore's demise, but even Fox has joined in. Every anchor that I have seen covering this story on Fox has done nothing but bash Judge Moore. The two names that come to mind right off the bat are Greg Jarrett and John Gibson. They have these smug little sneers on their faces when discussing the mess that Judge Moore has gotten himself into. Well, so much for "We report, You decide".

[Catspaw]

Moore is NOT going to jail. If the monument is not removed, the state of Alabama, NOT Judge Moore will be fined. The reason? Judge Moore was not sued in his individual capacity, but his official capacity as Chief Judge of the Alabama Supreme Court.

[Happy2BMe]

Quibbling over medals has what relevance to removing God from the United States Government?

I dare say true veterans do not boast of such things, and neither is Judge Roy Moore.

Kerry on the other hand needs all the conservative face time he can scrape up.

Both work for the government, both have diametrically opposing views of government and what role God should (or absolutely should not) play in the affairs of government.

Those who side with Kerry side with removing God from government.

Those who side with Moore side with restoring God in government.

I side with Judge Roy Moore.

[Happy2BMe]

Check your facts on who is being fined for retaining the Ten Commandment memorial in the courthouse rotunda.

It is Judge Roy Moore. The State of Alabama is fining him $5,000 per day for contempt of court.

[fox0566]

Well, I was really just using that phrase as a figure of speech to demonstrate the venom that most in the news media have for this principled and brave man. Most of these journalists are so spineless that they simply cannot understand someone putting it all on the line for what they believe in.

[savedbygrace]

Only those who never read the Hamurabi Code, or who are trying to deceive others about it.

BTW, in the Gospel according to Dave, what are the requirements to become a Christian?