Advertisement

Kentucky clerk defies Supreme Court order to issue gay marriage licenses

By Amy R. Connolly and Tomas Monzon
Two men embrace after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of gay marriage across the United States at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. on June 26. Monday, the Supreme Court refused to let a Kentucky county clerk continue to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on her religious beliefs. Photo by Gabriella Demczuk/UPI
Two men embrace after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of gay marriage across the United States at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. on June 26. Monday, the Supreme Court refused to let a Kentucky county clerk continue to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on her religious beliefs. Photo by Gabriella Demczuk/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples Tuesday hours after the U.S. Supreme Court said she must.

WKYT in Lexington, Ky. posted videos of the interaction between a same-sex couple and Davis as she refused to issue them a marriage license, citing "God's authority."

Advertisement

A second couple was also denied a license.

The employees at the courthouse initially refused the couples' licenses, saying Davis could not come out to speak because she was "doing reports." She later emerged from her office and said she would not issue licenses and told the crowd to leave or walk away from the counter before returning to her corner office.

A local sheriff said there was nothing he could do because the matter was in the hands of the federal court system, adding that she will likely be charged with contempt.

Davis has stopped issuing marriage licenses to all couples, gay or straight.

The Supreme Court on Monday denied Davis' request for a stay while she pursued an appeal to a lower court order directing her to issue the licenses. The Supreme Court denied her request without explanation or noted dissents. This is the first time the issue of same-sex marriages has come back to the justices since the June ruling that cleared the way for same-sex couples to marry nationwide.

Advertisement

Davis is now faced with a lower court order that her office begin issuing marriage licenses. She has refused to issue any marriage licenses based on her Apostolic Christian views that object to same-sex marriage. She argues her refusal is not a major burden on couples since other Kentucky counties are issuing licenses.

Davis' attorneys said her "conscience forbids her from approving a (same-sex marriage) license -- because the prescribed form mandates that she authorize the proposed union and issue a license bearing her own name and imprimatur."

Davis has not elicited her response to the Supreme Court ruling Monday, but defiance could lead to daily fines or jail time.

Latest Headlines