Alabama Judge Calls For Roy Moore’s Resignation

One Alabama county probate judge has had it with the State Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Wednesday morning, the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court issued an order to all county probate judges, telling them they have a “duty” to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Justice Roy Moore made the stunning announcement, not as the Chief Justice but in his role as the Administrative Head of the Unified Judicial System of Alabama.

Regardless, Judge Moore’s order, which claims the Supreme Court’s decision last June that found same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, is based on a pending case before his court.

While some probate judges made the decision to temporarily cease issuing marriage licenses to all couples today, others quietly announced they would continue to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell and issue licenses to all couples.

One probate judge, however, had had enough, and said so.

Judge Steven Reed of Montgomery County posted this tweet, calling Moore’s order a “charade,” and “sad & pathetic.”

And then he went one step further.

Saying he thinks Chief Justice Moore “has jumped the shark at this point,” Judge Reed, as AL.com reports, “said he doesn’t know if Moore’s order today was an attempt by Moore to ‘get on Donald Trumps radar,’ or generate publicity for some other reason.”

Reed “said the order is an embarrassment to Alabama and to the Alabama Supreme Court. ‘I think it sets a bad example when the chief justice behaves like this,’ Reed said.”

And then he called for Moore to quit.

“We don’t get to pick and choose what laws we follow,” he said. “If he (Moore) can’t follow those laws he ought to step down.”

 

EARLIER:

Some Alabama Judges Obey Chief Justice’s Order Banning Same-Sex Marriage, Some Hysterically Defy It

UPDATING: Alabama Chief Justice Issues Order Blocking Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

 

Photo of Judge Reed via Facebook