MONTGOMERY, AL - Chief Justice Roy Moore's request to cancel oral argument in order to expedite his appeal has been approved by the Special Court. The oral argument in his case was scheduled for April 26, 2017, but that distant date places a great financial hardship on the Chief Justice and his family. Since the case is fully briefed and there is no reason to delay the final ruling, Chief Justice Moore requested that the Special Court cancel oral argument and expedite its decision.
Already, this politically-motivated punishment has stripped Justice Moore of all income and benefits since September 30, 2019. Even through this hardship, he has continued his appeal for more than five months. The "suspension" imposed against the Chief Justice is the longest suspension in the history of this court. The Court of the Judiciary (COJ) illegally removed him de facto from the bench because political opponents disagreed with his legally accurate analysis. Lacking the 9-0 vote that COJ Rule 16 requires for removal, the COJ "suspended" the Chief for the remainder of his term until 2019, which is a suspension for life since the Chief Justice would reach the age of retirement at that time. In other words, the COJ violated Rule 16.
