Lawyers for former Chief Justice Roy Moore are appealing his removal from office saying the move was a disregard for the “rule of law.” Attorneys with the Liberty Counsel, a conservative non-profit law firm out of Florida that represents Moore, filed the appeal yesterday.
It once again comes down to semantics. Among other arguments, Moore’s lead attorney, Mat Staver says removing the judge from the bench requires a unanimous vote and that the court ignored this rule. Staver referenced the decision that states, “A majority of the court agrees that the only appropriate sanction for Chief Justice Moore is removal from office.” Staver says a majority is not unanimous and thus Moore’s suspension is illegal.
However, the decision later states that, “It is the unanimous judgment of the court that Chief Justice Roy Moore be suspended without pay for the remainder of his term.”
Staver’s arguments are similar to those he made during Moore’s trial when he said the January order to probate judges telling them not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples was merely a status report to clear up confusion. The court ultimately sided with the Judicial Inquiry Commission which argued Moore’s order defied a federal court decision.
Read the Court’s final decision on the Roy Moore trial here.