National & International

Metro & State

An Interview with Republican State Supreme Court Chief Justice Candidate Roy Moore

Voters will choose a new Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice next Tuesday. On the Democratic side is Bob Vance. We heard from the Jefferson County circuit judge yesterday on this program and you can find that conversation at our web site, WBHM (dot) org. On the Republican side is a well-known name in Alabama.

Roy Moore served as chief justice from 2001 to 2003. But he was ousted from that position when he refused to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama judicial building. Moore tells WBHM’s Andrew Yeager he’s running for his old job because he has the needed experience.

Listen to an interview with Moore's opponent, Democrat Bob Vance.

On whether he would put up another Ten Commandments monument:

“Absolutely not. I think that you’ve got to be careful when you’re standing for the law not to confuse the issue and to put a monument up would confuse the issue. And so I wouldn’t do that cause people need to know what the issue is that confronts the country and the acknowledgement of the sovereign God that gives you your rights and freedoms is the issue.”

On why he’s talking about social issues such as same-sex marriage in a state supreme court race:

“I think morality is always important. I think the rightness or wrongness of issues is always relevant. It’s relevant to the economy. It’s relevant to political conversation.”

On how he would secure adequate funding for state courts:

“We need the legislature to recognize that the judicial branch of government is equal to the legislative and executive branches. And we need some attention there… You’ve got to show how it’s declined over the years, how it’s been cut abnormally compared to the rest of the branches. And I think you have to show by statistics and you have to draw up a design.”

~ Andrew Yeager, November 1, 2012