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American Morning
Interview with Alabama Supreme Court's Chief Justice Roy Moore
Aired August 20, 2003 - 07:49 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thou shall keep on fighting for the chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court. Those are words to live by.
Justice Roy Moore has defied a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse in Montgomery. Yesterday, an appeals court rejected what could be Moore's last legal challenge. His deadline to have the 5,300-pound monument removed is tonight.
Chief Justice Roy Moore joins us now from the state Judicial Building in Montgomery.
Good morning to you. Thanks for joining us, Justice Moore. Appreciate your time.
JUSTICE ROY MOORE, ALABAMA: Good morning, Soledad. It's nice to be with you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. The deadline is looming, as we mentioned. It is midnight tonight. Do you plan to disobey this court order?
MOORE: I have no intention of moving the monument, Soledad, for a specific reason, and that reason is it contradicts the Alabama constitution. You see, this is not about a monument; it's not about politics or religion. It's about the acknowledgment of God, and the judge made that perfectly clear in closing argument when he said the issue is: Can the state acknowledge God? He simply said, "We cannot."
And that conflicts with the Alabama constitution, which says our justice system is established in invoking the favoring guidance of Almighty God. So, to do my job, I must acknowledge God.
O'BRIEN: Well, what the judge also said was that it violates the constitution's ban on government promotion of religion, and also critics are saying it's inappropriate, it's an unlawful use of public facilities, and that basically you should move it out. Why not?
MOORE: Well, when the judge says it violates religion, and then turns around in his order and says that he can't define religion and it's dangerous and unwise to define religion, he doesn't follow the law. You see, the United States Supreme Court itself defined religion in 1878, 1890 and 1947 as the duties which we owe to the creator in a manner of discharging those duties. Simply, this judge can't define religion. He can't enforce the law, and it is he that is breaking the law. O'BRIEN: Obviously, this whole debate has been going...
MOORE: The law is not what a judge says; it's the constitution.
O'BRIEN: Obviously, this debate has been going back and forth for a while now. The statue -- the monument, rather, has been in the Rotunda for two years.
MOORE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: As we mentioned, it weighs nearly 5,300 pounds, four feet tall. You're aware, obviously, that there are these huge penalties that could be foisted upon you if you do not remove the monument. And, in fact, by your own math, you've calculated...
MOORE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... with lawyers' fees tossed in as well, it could cost something like $25,000 per day for the taxpayers in Alabama. We're talking about a state that ranks in school spending 48th out of 50th. We're talking about a state that has been in a massive fiscal crisis for the last couple of years anyway. Isn't this just incredibly irresponsible bringing upon this financial burden to the taxpayers in your state?
MOORE: First, the sum of $25,000 per day is calculated in another case which the judge is already assessing against the state at the present time. The question is: Can the federal courts come into the state of Alabama and threaten fines to release our inalienable rights? Are we willing to give up the fact that God gave us our rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness?
You see, you've got to remember, Soledad, that it's not about a monument. It's about the fundamental acknowledgment of God, which this nation is founded.
O'BRIEN: Sir, at the same time...
MOORE: Indeed, it's ridiculous for the court...
O'BRIEN: Isn't it fundamentally about the law as well?
MOORE: It's ridiculous...
O'BRIEN: For example, as chief justice...
MOORE: Yes, absolutely.
O'BRIEN: ... aren't you charged with upholding the law in your state?
MOORE: Absolutely. Absolutely. And the law is the constitution, not what a judge says that can't even define the words. That's the problem in this case. The judge is violating the law. The law is very clear. The constitution of Alabama is very clear. We must acknowledge God for the establishment of our justice system. O'BRIEN: Well, as we mentioned...
MOORE: And when this judge says we can't, he's interfering with our state constitution. He has no right to do that.
O'BRIEN: As we mentioned, the deadline is midnight tonight. We will see what happens then. Chief Justice Roy Moore, I thank you for your time this morning.
MOORE: 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.
Moore>
Aired August 20, 2003 - 07:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thou shall keep on fighting for the chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court. Those are words to live by.
Justice Roy Moore has defied a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse in Montgomery. Yesterday, an appeals court rejected what could be Moore's last legal challenge. His deadline to have the 5,300-pound monument removed is tonight.
Chief Justice Roy Moore joins us now from the state Judicial Building in Montgomery.
Good morning to you. Thanks for joining us, Justice Moore. Appreciate your time.
JUSTICE ROY MOORE, ALABAMA: Good morning, Soledad. It's nice to be with you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. The deadline is looming, as we mentioned. It is midnight tonight. Do you plan to disobey this court order?
MOORE: I have no intention of moving the monument, Soledad, for a specific reason, and that reason is it contradicts the Alabama constitution. You see, this is not about a monument; it's not about politics or religion. It's about the acknowledgment of God, and the judge made that perfectly clear in closing argument when he said the issue is: Can the state acknowledge God? He simply said, "We cannot."
And that conflicts with the Alabama constitution, which says our justice system is established in invoking the favoring guidance of Almighty God. So, to do my job, I must acknowledge God.
O'BRIEN: Well, what the judge also said was that it violates the constitution's ban on government promotion of religion, and also critics are saying it's inappropriate, it's an unlawful use of public facilities, and that basically you should move it out. Why not?
MOORE: Well, when the judge says it violates religion, and then turns around in his order and says that he can't define religion and it's dangerous and unwise to define religion, he doesn't follow the law. You see, the United States Supreme Court itself defined religion in 1878, 1890 and 1947 as the duties which we owe to the creator in a manner of discharging those duties. Simply, this judge can't define religion. He can't enforce the law, and it is he that is breaking the law. O'BRIEN: Obviously, this whole debate has been going...
MOORE: The law is not what a judge says; it's the constitution.
O'BRIEN: Obviously, this debate has been going back and forth for a while now. The statue -- the monument, rather, has been in the Rotunda for two years.
MOORE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: As we mentioned, it weighs nearly 5,300 pounds, four feet tall. You're aware, obviously, that there are these huge penalties that could be foisted upon you if you do not remove the monument. And, in fact, by your own math, you've calculated...
MOORE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... with lawyers' fees tossed in as well, it could cost something like $25,000 per day for the taxpayers in Alabama. We're talking about a state that ranks in school spending 48th out of 50th. We're talking about a state that has been in a massive fiscal crisis for the last couple of years anyway. Isn't this just incredibly irresponsible bringing upon this financial burden to the taxpayers in your state?
MOORE: First, the sum of $25,000 per day is calculated in another case which the judge is already assessing against the state at the present time. The question is: Can the federal courts come into the state of Alabama and threaten fines to release our inalienable rights? Are we willing to give up the fact that God gave us our rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness?
You see, you've got to remember, Soledad, that it's not about a monument. It's about the fundamental acknowledgment of God, which this nation is founded.
O'BRIEN: Sir, at the same time...
MOORE: Indeed, it's ridiculous for the court...
O'BRIEN: Isn't it fundamentally about the law as well?
MOORE: It's ridiculous...
O'BRIEN: For example, as chief justice...
MOORE: Yes, absolutely.
O'BRIEN: ... aren't you charged with upholding the law in your state?
MOORE: Absolutely. Absolutely. And the law is the constitution, not what a judge says that can't even define the words. That's the problem in this case. The judge is violating the law. The law is very clear. The constitution of Alabama is very clear. We must acknowledge God for the establishment of our justice system. O'BRIEN: Well, as we mentioned...
MOORE: And when this judge says we can't, he's interfering with our state constitution. He has no right to do that.
O'BRIEN: As we mentioned, the deadline is midnight tonight. We will see what happens then. Chief Justice Roy Moore, I thank you for your time this morning.
MOORE: 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.
Moore>
