Thursday, August 21, 2003; Page A01
MONTGOMERY, Ala., Aug. 20 -- They still talk about Gov. George C. Wallace here, defiantly standing in that long-ago schoolhouse door. And from now on, they also will be talking about Chief Justice Roy S. Moore and his modern-day version of Alabama-style civil disobedience.
Today, Moore, a Baptist, refused to comply with a federal court deadline to remove a 2-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments that he installed in the rotunda of the state Supreme Court building. While the justice continued his legal fight from inside the courthouse, dozens of Moore's supporters gathered in prayer circles outside and made plans to kneel in front of the monument to block any attempt to forcibly remove it. Teams of round-the-clock monument patrols were put in place, and "minutemen" brigades were being formed to roust supporters at a moment's notice from hotel rooms or their homes if crews arrive at the courthouse to remove the monument.
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There have been signs that Moore will be challenged by his fellow justices, who could take the extraordinary step of convening to vote on whether to overrule him. Both Gov. Robert R. Riley, a conservative Republican elected with strong support from fundamentalist Christian groups, and Attorney General William H. Pryor Jr., who has been nominated for a federal appeals court post, have said they believe the monument is constitutional but do not support defying the court order.
Moore also faces the prospect of an ethics investigation after complaints were filed with the state judicial ethics commission. Few religious leaders in Montgomery have publicly supported Moore. The courthouse prayer vigils and the evening strategy sessions are mostly populated by leaders of groups from outside the state, such as Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, which coordinated today's rallies.
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"This is Southern demagoguery in a very pure and undiluted form," said Clarence L. Mohr, history department chairman at the University of South Alabama. Mohr said there are clear parallels between the chief justice's crusade and former governor Wallace's failed attempt to stop integration of the University of Alabama.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23143-2003Aug20.html
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