MONTGOMERY, AL – The Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) of the State of Alabama has filed a complaint against Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The charges focus solely on his Administrative Order issued in January 2016, in which he wrote that the 2015 orders of the Alabama Supreme Court remained in effect until the Court further indicates otherwise. Chief Justice Moore did not participate in the 2015 orders, which ruled that the Probate Judges must uphold the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Act.

“The Judicial Inquiry Commission has no authority over the Administrative Orders of the Chief Justice of Alabama or the legal injunction of the Alabama Supreme Court prohibiting probate judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses. We intend to fight this agenda vigorously and expect to prevail,” said Chief Justice Moore.

Liberty Counsel is representing Chief Justice Moore in this matter and will vigorously defend against this complaint.

“The Alabama Supreme Court has repeatedly slapped down the JIC for wading into legal arguments and has reminded the JIC is it not a court of law. Yet, the JIC has once again veered from its duty and now seeks to resolve a legal dispute that can only be resolved by the Alabama Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “Earlier this year a federal Court of Appeals and three federal District Courts rendered the same opinion as Chief Justice Moore about how to apply the U.S. Supreme Court’s marriage opinion. The Alabama Supreme Court also backed up the Chief Justice. If the JIC wants a final legal interpretation, it has no authority to render its own interpretation. That is a matter for the U.S. Supreme Court. The JIC complaint is outrageous because its sole focus is on the interpretation of the law, which is beyond the JIC’s authority to resolve,” concluded Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.