UPDATE II: Federal Judge Gives Kim Davis Time To Appeal Order To Issue Marriage Licenses
A federal judge has just refused to stay his ruling ordering a Kentucky clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but is giving her time to appeal.
Last week a U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Rowan County clerk Kim Davis to begin issuing marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender. On Thursday, Davis’s office refused several same-sex and different-sex couples.
Back in court minutes ago, that same judge refused to stay his decision, but gave Davis time to file an appeal with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. That’s the same Court that created a constitutional conflict when it ruled Michigan had the right to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, sending four cases off to the Supreme Court. Those cases were combined and decided in June when the Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage.
It’s unknown when the 6th Circuit will rule on Davis’ appeal.
In his Wednesday ruling last week, Bunning wrote, “Davis is bound by her duties as a public servant to obey the law.”
UPDATE:
The AP adds “Davis faces fines and a possible jail sentence for contempt of court if she loses the lawsuit, but she can only be impeached from her $80,000 a year job by the state legislature, and lawmakers won’t reconvene until January.”
UPDATE II: 7:01 PM EDT –
Attorneys in the case disagree on what today’s ruling means.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who are suing for Davis so they can marry, say the ruling means she must begin to issue licenses, while lawyers for Davis say she has been granted a stay until the 6th Circuit rules on her request for a stay of Bunning’s ruling ordering her to issue licenses.
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EARLIER:
Clerk Sues Governor, Claims Her Religious Liberty Was Violated When He Told Her To Do Her Job
Federal Judge Orders Kentucky Clerk To Issue Marriage Licenses
UPDATED: Kentucky Clerk Defies Federal Judge, Turns Away Same-Sex Couple Seeking Marriage License
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