Moore blames 'radical homosexual, transgender groups' for suspension

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore released a statement Friday afternoon slamming the Court of the Judiciary for suspending him through the end of his term, without pay, effectively removing him from the bench for the second time in his career.

"This decision clearly reflects the corrupt nature of our political and legal system at the highest level," Moore said in a statement released through the Montgomery-based Foundation for Moral Law. The foundation was started by Moore and is currently run by his wife, Kayla.

Moore contends that the trial was "a politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups to remove me as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court because of outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda." He goes on to state, "This opinion violates not only the legal standards of evidence but also the rule of law which states that no judge can be removed from office except by unanimous vote."

Moore's statement mirrors that of his attorney, Mat Staver, who said he will appeal the ruling to the Alabama Supreme Court. "There is no meaningful difference between suspension for the remaining of the term and removal from office," Staver contends.

Moore accused the Judicial Inquiry Commission of hiring the former legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center to file charges against him after Attorney General Luther Strange declined to prosecute. The SPLC has been a longtime vocal critic of Moore, including during his first stint at chief justice when it successfully fought to have him removed from the bench in 2003.

There were no witnesses, affidavits, or evidence provided by the JIC during the trial, Moore said, adding the JIC failed to meet the burden of proof that he violated six canons of judicial ethics.

The Court of the Judiciary unanimously decided otherwise, however, finding Moore guilty on each count in the case surrounding allegations that Moore misused his office by trying to block gay couples from marrying in the state, in conflict with federal court orders.

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