The US Supreme Court today rejected appeals by Alabama's embattled top judge, Roy Moore, who has waged an unsuccessful legal battle to display the Ten Commandments at the state judicial building.
Without comment, the court refused to hear two appealsby Mr Moore, who was suspended after refusing to comply with a federal judge's order in August to remove the granite monument inscribed with the commandments because it violated constitutional church-state separation.
Mr Moore, who was elected as Alabama's chief justice in 2000, has been accused of violating judicial ethics. He is fighting his suspension, and a hearing has been set for November 12th.
Mr Moore has strong support from fundamentalist Christian groups for his championing of public displays of the Ten Commandments. As a lower court judge, he had a hand-carved plaque with the Ten Commandments in his courtroom.
Civil liberties groups have criticised him for imposing hispersonal religious views on others and using his office topromote the Christian faith.