WATCH: Alabama chief justice: ‘Trans people have mental illness’

The chief justice of Alabama, Roy Moore, has attacked an ethics probe that is to be launched against him as politically motivated by ā€œmentally illā€ trans people.

Talking in a press conference this week, Mr Moore said that ā€œatheists, homosexuals and transgender individualsā€ were attacking him by making politically motivated complaints against his administrative order to prevent marriage equality in the state.

WATCH: Alabama chief justice: ‘Trans people have mental illness’

The Judicial Inquiry Commission of Alabama (JIC) has announced it will investigate the chief justiceā€™s conduct and the order that was made.

The head of the stateā€™s top court believes itā€™s in his power to make orders about same-sex marriage, despite the US Supreme Court legalising it across all 50 states last year.

The judge also blasted Ambrosia Starling, a trans woman, who held a mock wedding on the steps of the courthouse in January.

He referred to her as a ā€œtransvestiteā€ before looking sternly at reporters in the room. He then referred to Ms Starling and other trans people as being sick.

He said: ā€œWe in a serious time in our country.

ā€œA time when people who just a few years ago, would have been ascribed a mental illness, a mental disorder.ā€

If the JIC finds that there has been improper conduct by Mr Moore it can censure him or even have him removed.

Check out the press conference he gave below: