Justice Moron (err, Moore) has 15 days

[Theophylact]

to remove his two-ton tablets:

The clock officially started ticking Tuesday for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore when a federal judge gave him 15 days to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the state Judicial Building.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson set an Aug. 20 deadline for the monument's removal and suggested he would impose hefty fines against the state if Moore fails to comply with the order.

"If ... there is a finding of civil contempt, the court could levy substantial fines against Chief Justice Moore in his official capacity, and thus against the state of Alabama itself, until the monument is removed," Thompson wrote. "For example, the court could levy a fine of $5,000 a day for the first week, with the amount of the fine to perhaps double at the beginning of each and every week thereafter to the extent allowed by law." ...

Thompson noted in Tuesday's order that Moore chose not to ask him or the 11th Circuit to stay its decisions in the case until he could request a review by the U.S. Supreme Court. ...

In the past, Moore has repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether he would defy the ruling or remove the monument when ordered to do so. His stock reply has been that he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

That bridge is now in sight. Religious leaders have vowed to bring large crowds to Montgomery to demonstrate against the monument's removal. ...

[Southern Poverty Law Center] attorney Richard Cohen said Thompson's strategy in fining Moore was sound.

"Judge Thompson tried to be real careful to avoid inciting any kind of confrontation. By his actions, the chief justice seems to be itchin' for a fight," Cohen said. "It's quite a spectacle to see a chief justice threaten to defy a federal court order. It's pretty obvious that he is trying to provoke some confrontation so he can position himself as a martyr, the way George Wallace used race to his political advantage."

[jkrohn]

[M_Six]

I take it you hate threads with zero replies, jkrohn?

[MTAtech]

Unfortunately, he's about the caliber of other Bush nominees.

[Theophylact]

Bush hasn't nominated him for anything -- yet. But Bill Pryor, whom he has nominated, has supported Moore in this quixotic battle.