Roy Moore Wins Republican Nomination For Alabama Chief Justice

CNN reports that Alabama's former Supreme Court chief justice, Roy Moore, may get his old job back.  Moore won Tuesday's Republican primary in which the current chief justice, Chuck Malone, was challenged by two contenders-- Moore and former Alabama attorney general Charlie Graddick. Once final results were in late yesterday, it became clear that Moore had avoided a run-off election by capturing just over 50% of the entire vote. Moore is best known for his attempt ten years ago to keep his 2.5 ton Ten Commandments monument in the Alabama Judicial Building which housed the Supreme Court. In 2003, a state judicial ethics panel removed Moore from office when he defied a federal court order to take down the monument. According to an AP report in March, the major issue in the primary race was whether the Alabama state courts can withstand another round of budget cuts. Moore will face Democratic candidate Harry Lyon in the November election. WBRC reports that Moore, when asked if he would attempt to return the 10 Commandments to the Court, said:

We'll not return the Ten Commandments because it would be more about me or a monument about me. That's what I'm identified with, and I think it would be detrimental to the true issue. The true issue is whether we can acknowledge the sovereignty of almighty God over the affairs of our state and our law. That I will not back down from.