MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- State Supreme Court Justices have overruled  Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and ordered his Ten Commandments monument removed from public view Aug. 21, The Associated Press reported.

The associate justices instructed the Alabama Judicial Building manager to "take all steps necessary to comply...as soon as possible," with a federal court order to remove the monument.

A plywood partition was briefly placed in front of the monument in the rotunda of the building. The public entrance was closed and only those with official court business were permitted to enter.

The partition stood as a wall across the front of the monument, which is directly across from the entrance to the rotunda.

The move came as U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson's deadline passed for Moore's monument to be removed outright or moved to a private part of the building.

Late the previous day, Moore's emergency plea to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of the federal court order was rejected. The high court declined for the time being to be drawn into a fight over whether the monument violates the Constitution's ban on government promotion of religion.

Moore has publicly stated he would not comply with the federal court order and Thompson has threatened to fine the state $5,000 per day the monument remains in public view.

Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor filed notice with Thompson's office that the monument would be moved under the associate justices' order to avoid fines.