Bill Pryor's Shocking Comments During Roy Moore's "Trial"

(November 18, 2003)

The second of two recent commentaries by Chuck Baldwin (who was present in the courtroom), regarding the exchange between Bill Pryor and Roy Moore during cross-examination...

Following up on my last column, it is extremely important that every American citizen read the exchange between Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore during Moore's trial. Since The Court of the Judiciary did not allow television cameras or recording devices in the courtroom, it is up to people like me to get the word out to the American people as to what Pryor said. The examination of Chief Justice Moore by Bill Pryor is shocking, to say the least. Here is a verbatim exchange between the two men taken from the court transcript:

Pryor: Mr. Chief Justice? And your understanding is that the Federal court ordered that you could not acknowledge God; isn't that right?

Moore: Yes.

Pryor: 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 ---

Moore: That's right.

Pryor: ---no matter what any other official says?

Moore: Absolutely. Without --- let me clarify that. Without an acknowledgment 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 ---

Pryor: The only point I am 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 without regard to what any other official says; isn't that right?

Moore: Well, I'll do the same thing this Court did with starting of 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 opens with, "God save the State and this Honorable Court." It's an acknowledgement of God. In my opinions, which I have written many opinions, acknowledging God is the source --- a moral source of our law. I think you must.

Does everyone understand what Bill Pryor was saying? He was saying that in order for Chief Justice Moore to resume his duties, he must not acknowledge God. The posting of the Ten Commandments did not even come up. Roy Moore's "crime" was acknowledging God. For this, he was removed from the bench.

To require that a public official not acknowledge God not only violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but also Article Six of the Constitution that says, "…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." To require Chief Justice Moore to not acknowledge God certainly violates this constitutional obligation!

Therefore, federal judge Myron Thompson and Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor have plainly and deliberately violated Roy Moore's constitutional rights under the First Amendment and Article Six of the U.S. Constitution. For doing so, they should be immediately removed from office, and Bill Pryor should be denied appointment to the federal judiciary!

I understand that Ten Commandments rallies will be held at state capitols around the country this Saturday, November 22, and that petitions to Congress to bring the federal judiciary into account will be circulated. I have been invited to speak at the rally in Tallahassee, Florida. I invite you to meet me there! Furthermore, I urge my readers to attend rallies in their respective states.

Bill Pryor, Myron Thompson and the federal judiciary are out-of- control! They must be reigned in now! Congress has the authority to limit and regulate the jurisdiction of the federal courts. It must do so immediately. However, moving Congress to action is our job --- yours and mine. We can make a difference, but we must act now!