US: The chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court has said he would defy a federal judge's order to remove a Ten Commandments monument that sits in the rotunda of the state judicial building in Montgomery.
Chief Justice Roy Moore said he had "no intention" of removing the 5,300lb monument before the August 20th deadline imposed by US District Judge Myron H. Thompson.
"This I cannot and will not do," Judge Moore told reporters during a news conference.
Judge Moore argued that the federal courts had no authority "to tell the state of Alabama that we cannot acknowledge God as the source of our justice system". The state's constitution, he noted, invoked "the favour and guidance of Almighty God".
Judge Moore's decision not to obey sets the stage for a longer legal battle over the 4ft-tall monument which he had erected in the rotunda one night two years ago. He plans to appeal to the US Supreme Court to retain it.
His defiance in the face of prior court orders has made him a hero in the eyes of many evangelical Christians.
Critics view the monument as an inappropriate - and unconstitutional - use of public facilities for religious purposes.
Judge Moore's latest statement brought sharp criticism from the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit asking that the granite monument be taken away.
"It's a sad day when a judicial officer says that he's not going to comply with a court order. It's pretty bizarre," said Mr Richard Cohen, a lawyer for the Southern Poverty Law Centre, which is involved in the lawsuit.
Mr Cohen said that shortly after Judge Moore's comments, the legal group filed a complaint with the state's Judicial Inquiry Commission, the body overseeing judges' conduct.
Judge Thompson imposed the deadline for removal of the monument after Judge Moore lost an appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Thompson also indicated he would impose fines on the state of up to $5,000 each day if the monument is not taken down.