One member of the Alabama Court of the Judiciary has recused himself from the upcoming decision on the fate of suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore.
Opelika attorney John V. Denson is one of nine judges, attorneys and other citizens who serve on Alabama’s Court of the Judiciary. He says he is recusing himself from the case to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Denson is the only current member of the Court who also served on the body in 2003, when Chief Justice Moore was first removed from office.
Moore was booted from office in November 2003 for refusing to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments from the state judicial building. He was re-elected as Chief Justice in 2012. Moore now faces removal once again for instructing the state’s probate judges to disobey a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
The Court of the Judiciary will hear oral arguments in the case on August 8.
An Alabama group is working to address racial tensions simmering in Alabama and across the country.
The YWCA of Central Alabama will host a Face to Face workshop today dealing with race and racial issues in America. The event was planned due to the recent high-profile shootings of African Americans and police officers in Dallas, Baton Rouge and elsewhere.
YWCA spokeswoman Rebecca Harkless says now is the perfect time to address the issue.
“I hope that everyone that comes is able to talk more comfortably about race and racism. I feel like it’s really important for us to be able to move forward that we acknowledge that racism still exists. “
Harkless says the event will be held by members of the YWCA and is directed to people of all ages and racial groups. The event will be held at the YWCA office in Birmingham.
It’s certainly going to feel like summertime today and through the rest of the week.
The forecast is calling for brutal heat over the next few days. Some parts of the state could see 100 degree temperatures. That doesn’t even include the heat index, which factors in relative humidity to better represent how it feels outside.
John De Block is with the National Weather Service in Birmingham. He says the heat trend could last a while.
“It looks like over the next seven to ten days, we’re going to be really under the influence of a strong subtropical ridge. That’s a complicated way of saying it’s going to be hot and humid over the next seven to ten days across central Alabama.”
De Block says everyone should take steps to avoid heat-related illnesses. That includes drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks if you’re going to be out in the heat.