Attorney General Bill Pryor Prosecutes Chief Justice Moore and Claims the Chief Justice is “Unrepentant” for Acknowledging God Notwithstanding Court Orders to the Contrary.

The following is a partial transcript from yesterday’s trial of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Like Luther standing before the tribunal at the Diet of Worms, Chief Justice Roy Moore was explicitly condemned for being “unrepentant ” in his unwillingness to submit to a federal order prohibiting him from acknowledging God as a state official. Attorney General Bill Pryor demanded the Court of the Judiciary to immediately remove him from office for his refusal to deny God and for “inciting the public to support his misconduct.” It must be stressed, that Attorney General Pryor did not cross-examine Chief Justice Moore on his future position towards Ten Commandment monuments, but only the issue of the acknowledgment of God as a public official. Please stay tuned for more in-depth reporting from the Alabama courtroom. In the meantime the following is a partial transcript of the concluding questions in the cross-examination of Chief Justice Moore by Attorney General Bill Pryor.

Q: Mr. Chief Justice? And your understanding is that the federal court ordered that you could not acknowledge God; isn’t that right?

A: Yes.

Q: And if you resume your duties as Chief Justice after this proceeding, you will continue to acknowledge God as you have testified that you would today?

A: That’s right.

Q: No matter what any official says?

A: Absolutely. Without — let me clarify that. Without an acknowledgement of God, I cannot do my duties. I must acknowledge God. It says so in the constitution of Alabama. It says so in the first amendment to the United States Constitution. It says so in everything I have read. So - -

Q: The only point I’m trying to clarify, Mr. Chief Justice, is not why, but only that, in fact, if you do resume your duties as Chief Justice, you will continue to do that [acknowledge God] without regard to what any other official says; isn’t that right?

A: Well, I’ll do the same thing this court did with starting a prayer; that’s an acknowledgement of God. Now, we did the same say thing that justices do when they place their hand on the Bible and say, “So help me God.” It’s an acknowledgement of God. The Alabama Supreme Court opened with, “God save the State and this Honorable Court.” It’s an acknowledgement of God. In my opinion, which I have written many opinions, acknowledging God is the source — a moral source of law. I think you must.