Chief Justice Moore Given New Ultimatum: Remove Monument by January 3

In a setback to Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued a permanent injunction, demanding the removal of the Ten Commandments Monument by January 3. The monument, which came at no expense to taxpayers, also contains quotes from several of America's Founding Fathers, proclaiming that this nation was founded upon Christian principles.

Moore had argued to Judge Thompson that removing the monument would force him to violate his oath of office, since the Ten Commandments represents the moral foundation of American law, which he vowed to uphold
 

Thompson disagreed, and issued his January 3 mandate, although he left open the possibility of staying that injunction, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Were he to do this, the monument would stay in the rotunda of the Alabama state Judicial Building, pending a hearing and ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Opponents of the monument, including the ACLU and others, claim that it amounts to an official endorsement of religion, which they claim the Constitution forbids