Ala. judge faces removal over anti-gay marriage order

The Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court could be removed from the bench over an administrative order he sent telling the state’s probate judges to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage.

The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) filed ethics charges against Chief Justice Roy Moore on Friday, resulting in an automatic suspension of the judge until a resolution is reached, according to the Associated Press.

{mosads}”By issuing his unilateral order of January 6, 2016, Chief Justice Moore flagrantly disregarded a fundamental constitutional right guaranteed in all states as declared by the United States Court in Obergefell,” the charges read.

Moore faces the possibility of being removed from the bench.

He was also removed from the court in 2003 after refusing to remove a large Ten Commandments monument that he had installed near a courthouse. He was reelected in 2012.

“The JIC has chosen to listen to people like Ambrosia Starling, a professed transvestite, and other gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, as well as organizations which support their agenda. We intend to fight this agenda vigorously and expect to prevail,” Moore said in statement Friday, referring to a gay rights activist.