Roy Moore gets full support of Ala. GOP - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Nearly a decade after he was removed from the bench as Alabama's Supreme Court Chief Justice, Judge Roy Moore is gaining key support that could see him returned to the bench.

Wednesday, Moore got the full backing of Alabama GOP party leader Bill Armistead as he moves into the general election campaign. Armistead, Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, held a news conference to publicly voice the party's full support for Moore.

"Alabama voters sent a strong message in the March 13 primary that they want Judge Roy Moore as their Chief Justice again. The Alabama Republican Party stands firmly behind Judge Roy Moore to serve as the next Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court," Armistead said.

Armistead spoke of Moore's "courage and incredible moral strength" and played up his conservative values. "Judge Moore embodies the conservative values and beliefs of the citizens of our state and the Republican Party in Alabama stands behind him 100%," Armistead added.

"I believe in limited government, conservative principles, and moral values and I am proud to be part of the Republican Party," Moore said at the rally.

In the 1990s, Moore was well known locally as Circuit Judge of Etowah County where he ruled from the bench with a plaque of the Ten Commandments behind him. He was eventually propelled into the state's highest court race, where he won the Chief Justice position.

He became known nationally in 2003 when a federal judge ordered him to remove a large, carved monument of the Ten Commandments from the state's Judiciary Building in Montgomery. He stood defiant, even as he was unanimously stripped of his position on November 13 of that year by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.

In clinching the GOP nomination in March, Moore was asked if he would take up the battle of placing the monument back in the Judiciary should he win the election. He said he would not do so, adding that he's made his point, and moving the monument back into the building would be more about himself than the monument.

In the years since he was removed from the bench, Moore has worked to create the Foundation for Moral Law based in Montgomery. He has also unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Governor and briefly formed an exploratory committee to determine his chances at gaining the Republican nomination for President.

Moore received a little more that 50 percent of the vote on March 13 to win the Republican nomination for his old job beating both former Attorney General Charlie Graddick and current Chief Justice Chuck Malone.

He faces Democratic challenger Harry Lyon in the November general election.   

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