Chief Justice Moore overruled by fellow justices

[hgc]

CNN article (http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/21/ten.commandments/index.html)

[hgc]

Beautiful quotes...
"The refusal of officers of this court to obey a binding order of a federal court of competent jurisdiction would impair the authority and ability of all of the courts of this state to enforce their judgments," the eight associate justices ruled.

The associate justices wrote that they are "bound by solemn oath to follow the law, whether they agree or disagree with it," The Associated Press reported.

[Brown]

I understand the Alabama court's order is seven pages long. (Chances are that a signifcant percentage of the order is devoted to the history of the case and the procedural posture.) I would like to read the order, but so far have not found it posted on the Internet. I expect it will appear in time.

[Brown]

Originally posted by Brown
I would like to read the order, but so far have not found it posted on the Internet. Never mind. Just found it at the CNN web site.

[Brown]

Something interesting appears on page 5 of the order:At a special conference on the afternoon of August 14, 2003, a majority of the associate justices agreed to defer consideration of further action, pending the possibility of the entry of an order staying the writ of injunction.Apparently the associate justices saw that trouble was brewing, and were considering taking action before today. If Moore was aware of this "special conference," then he might have acted in defiance of the federal order with knowledge that the other justices on the bench would fix the problem (and take all of the political heat for doing so).

How would you like it if one of your co-workers did something like that to you?

[hgc]

This from the The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/21/national/21CND-JUDGE.html?pagewanted=1&hp)
The associate justices, who acted before Justice Moore arrived for work this morning, ordered their building's manager to erect a partition to screen the monument from public view in the lobby, which was done. But when Justice Moore arrived, according to people who have been in contact with him today, he ordered the manager to take it down and threatened to jail the other justices.Seems Moore gets some fairly awesome powers from his God-im-himmel. He's already compared himself to Moses and Daniel. Next, it'll be Sampson. Sure they can cut his hair (take out the monument), but God will grant him his strength one more time to bring down the whole building (throw his comrades in jail).

[Lurker]

So Judge Moore threatened to jail the other judges? Great fun! What would the charge be? Erecting the barriers without a permit? Anybody see the irony in this?

Lurker

[Brown]

...and threatened to jail the other justices.If true, it sounds like the guy's mental. I sure hope that people are asking whether he is judicially fit to serve on the bench.

Members of high courts disagree all the time, and sometimes the disagreements are very heated. And yet, you never hear this sort of talk among members of a high court. Judges on high courts simply do not threaten one another with imprisonment.