For the second time in his career, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore faces charges before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary and potential removal from office.

Until that court hears and rules on those charges, Moore will be suspended with pay from his position atop the state's highest court.

On Friday, the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission forwarded charges to the commission, accusing the chief justice of violating judicial ethics in his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Despite a ruling by a federal judge in Mobile making same-sex marriage legal in Alabama last year, and in the face of a United States Supreme Court ruling last year making its legality the law of the land, Moore instructed probate judges throughout Alabama to ignore those higher courts and to refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples.

Moore's actions led the Southern Poverty Law Center to file complaints with the commission, which acts much in the same way as a grand jury. When it receives a complaint, the commission investigates and decides whether to forward charges to the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.

The process remains secret unless charges are made, as happened Friday evening. Unless Moore reaches a settlement, he will be tried before that court.

On Friday evening, SPLC President Richard Cohen said that Moore has disgraced his office and should be removed.

"He is such an egomaniac and such a religious zealot that he thinks he can ignore court orders with impunity," Cohen said. "For the sake of our state, he should be kicked out of office."

This is the second time Moore has faced such charges. In 2003, the Court of the Judiciary removed Moore from office after he installed a washing machine-sized monument of the Ten Commandments in the state judicial building in Montgomery. Moore refused a federal court order to remove the monument, leading to his removal from the state's highest court.

His obstinance this time, though, is worse, Cohen said.

"This time, he has instructed every probate judge in the state to violate a court order," he said.

Reached by phone Friday evening, Moore said he was ready to fight what he called the LGBT agenda.

"The Judicial Inquiry Commission has no authority over the administrative orders of the chief justice of Alabama or the legal injunctions of the Alabama Supreme Court prohibiting probate judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses," Moore said. "The Judicial Inquiry Commission has chosen to listen to people like Ambrosia Starling, a professed transvestite and other gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, as well as organizations that support their agenda."

While the judicial inquiry commission charges were pending in 2003, the most senior judge took over as chief justice.

This time, the most senior justice is Lyn Stuart, who was first elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2000.

According to her online court biography:

Stuart is a native of Atmore, Alabama, attended public schools and graduated from Escambia County High School. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Education from Auburn University with high honor in 1977 and her Juris Doctorate degree from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1980.

She worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alabama under former Attorney General Charles Graddick. She also served as Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and Special Assistant Attorney General for the State Department of Corrections. Upon moving to Baldwin County, she became an Assistant District Attorney for Baldwin County on the staff of District Attorney David Whetstone.

In 1988, she was elected District Judge, and was re-elected in 1994. Former Gov. Fob James appointed Justice Stuart to the Circuit bench in January 1997. She was elected, without opposition, to a six year term in 1998.