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Controversy Continues in Ten Commandments Debate

Aired August 22, 2003 - 13:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Eleventh commandment: Can't we all just get along? In defiance of the courts, neither side is backing down. So, a 5,000 pound granite display of the Ten Commandments continues to spend another day in the rotunda of the Alabama judicial building.
Let's bring in CNN's David Mattingly for what's happening today -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, on the steps of the judicial building here in Montgomery, Alabama, this is what we see happening from time to time -- spontaneous demonstrations; in this case, a prayer meeting that's being held for the supporters of Justice Roy Moore, who are out here on the steps. You see behind the speaker, there are a couple of tablets that have been erected in the last hour of the Ten Commandment, what this issue is all about here.

All of the parties in this case came together this morning for a conference call, and plaintiffs in this case came away from that conference call satisfied that the state of Alabama is doing everything it possibly can right now to remove the monument placed here by Justice Roy Moore. And for that reason, they say they're not going to pursue contempt charges at this time, but they're going to revisit the issue in a week, and if the monument is still here, then they may consider contempt charges, which would cost the state of Alabama $5,000 a day in federal fines.

Earlier this morning, Justice Moore himself went and looked at the monument. This was in between interviews he was giving to a variety of networks this morning. In those interviews, he said that this issue has become something much more than about just him and his monument.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JUSTICE ROY MOORE, ALABAMA SUPREME COURT: If the rule of law was what a judge says, we'd still have slavery. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence would be a meaningless document. We have got to realize that what judges say when they violate law is not law, it's lawless. And in this case, the law is clear. In the Constitution, it says our justice system is established upon God. It's about God. It's not about a monument or a stone or a rock or the Ten Commandments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Justice Moore is also involved today in a state judicial board inquiry. That board acting on a complaint by the plaintiffs in this case that Moore is subject to judicial misconduct. If that board determines there is evidence of that, they will turn it over to a judicial court, at which time Justice Moore could be suspended. And if they find him guilty, he could be removed from the bench.

In the meantime, none of his supporters here want to see that happen. They are keeping an eye, they say, on the monument inside to make sure nothing happens.

And you see what we've been seeing all day long. The size of the crowd will grow, it will shrink, depending on what's going on. And right now, people just expressing themselves and their support for this issue. In fact, there is one man over there holding a cross. He just arrived on the scene.

Again, it changes -- it changes every few minutes out here, but the message is the same. They are protesting the court's decision and they want to make sure that that monument remains here in public view -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our David Mattingly will continue to follow the story. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired August 22, 2003 - 13:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Eleventh commandment: Can't we all just get along? In defiance of the courts, neither side is backing down. So, a 5,000 pound granite display of the Ten Commandments continues to spend another day in the rotunda of the Alabama judicial building.
Let's bring in CNN's David Mattingly for what's happening today -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, on the steps of the judicial building here in Montgomery, Alabama, this is what we see happening from time to time -- spontaneous demonstrations; in this case, a prayer meeting that's being held for the supporters of Justice Roy Moore, who are out here on the steps. You see behind the speaker, there are a couple of tablets that have been erected in the last hour of the Ten Commandment, what this issue is all about here.

All of the parties in this case came together this morning for a conference call, and plaintiffs in this case came away from that conference call satisfied that the state of Alabama is doing everything it possibly can right now to remove the monument placed here by Justice Roy Moore. And for that reason, they say they're not going to pursue contempt charges at this time, but they're going to revisit the issue in a week, and if the monument is still here, then they may consider contempt charges, which would cost the state of Alabama $5,000 a day in federal fines.

Earlier this morning, Justice Moore himself went and looked at the monument. This was in between interviews he was giving to a variety of networks this morning. In those interviews, he said that this issue has become something much more than about just him and his monument.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JUSTICE ROY MOORE, ALABAMA SUPREME COURT: If the rule of law was what a judge says, we'd still have slavery. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence would be a meaningless document. We have got to realize that what judges say when they violate law is not law, it's lawless. And in this case, the law is clear. In the Constitution, it says our justice system is established upon God. It's about God. It's not about a monument or a stone or a rock or the Ten Commandments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Justice Moore is also involved today in a state judicial board inquiry. That board acting on a complaint by the plaintiffs in this case that Moore is subject to judicial misconduct. If that board determines there is evidence of that, they will turn it over to a judicial court, at which time Justice Moore could be suspended. And if they find him guilty, he could be removed from the bench.

In the meantime, none of his supporters here want to see that happen. They are keeping an eye, they say, on the monument inside to make sure nothing happens.

And you see what we've been seeing all day long. The size of the crowd will grow, it will shrink, depending on what's going on. And right now, people just expressing themselves and their support for this issue. In fact, there is one man over there holding a cross. He just arrived on the scene.

Again, it changes -- it changes every few minutes out here, but the message is the same. They are protesting the court's decision and they want to make sure that that monument remains here in public view -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our David Mattingly will continue to follow the story. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.