Alabama's High Court Homophobe Refuses to Clean Out His Desk

After being suspended for fighting marriage equality, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is digging in his heels.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

October 19 2016 10:01 AM EST

October 19 2016 4:22 PM EST

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Alabama's most powerful judge was bounced from his job last month after being convicted of ethics violations in his efforts to block marriage equality -- and now, after being ordered to pack up his office, he's refusing.

Suspended Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore says he shouldn't have to remove the expensive items from his office because he's appealing the ruling of the Alabama Court of the Judiciary. Acting Chief Justice Lyn Stuart disagrees, saying Moore needs to remove his belongings, which include a giant grandfather clock and portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Moore believes he'll win his appeal and be allowed to return to the bench, though that looks very unlikely.

"My appeal is still pending but Justice Stuart is acting like she has already decided the appeal against me," Moore said, according to AL.com, a website for several Alabama newspapers. "I have asked Justices Stuart, Bolin, Main and Shaw to be recused from hearing my case."

The Court of the Judiciary agreed with a commission's charges that the virulently antigay justice improperly ordered probate judges to disregard last year's Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

Moore has long been a stringent opponent of equal rights and has been fired before. He was removed from office in 2003 after he refused to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state Supreme Court building, but was returned to the chief justice position by voters in 2012.