Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy S. Moore and his legal team, including Herb Titus, Phillip Jauregui, Justice Terry Butts and attorneys from the Foundation for Moral Law, Inc., announce today they have filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Moore’s removal from office on ethics charges for acknowledging God and refusing to obey an unlawful order.

“The issue now before the United States Supreme Court,” said Moore, “is whether or not they will consider a case involving the removal of the highest judicial officer of a state because of his profession of a belief in God. Their decision will ultimately affect the rights of the people of Alabama who vote for candidates who uphold the moral foundation of our society. Should the U.S. Supreme Court fail to consider this case, public officials who profess a belief in a sovereign God shall be forever silenced.”

According to page 10 of the petition, “Thus, this case involves the unprecedented removal from office of a Chief Justice because of the profession of his religious beliefs without any consideration of the ethical defense for his actions. It presents, therefore, two important federal questions under the Constitution that warrant a hearing by this Court: (1) whether the Chief Justice was subjected to an unconstitutional religious test, and (2) whether he was unconstitutionally denied any meaningful defense.”

“This case is not about the removal of a monument,” said Jauregui, “but about the removal of a Chief Justice. He was removed on ethical grounds but the courts have refused to consider the fact that he acted ethically in declining to follow the unlawful order.”

The Petition for Writ of Certiorari was filed late Thursday afternoon. This high court will now determine whether or not they will accept the petition and hear the appeal, and this process could take several months.