county clerk in Kentucky has been found guilty of contempt and sent to
jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples due to
her own religious objections.
- (Photo: Reuters/Joshua Roberts)
Davis, the clerk at Rowan County who garnered national attention for
refusing to issue the marriage licenses, was found in contempt of court
Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning.
Bunning chose
a prison sentence over a fine because he believed Davis, who makes
$80,000 per year, would not comply with his order if given a fine, reported USA Today.
Bunning
added that Davis will be released from prison once she has agreed to
comply with the court order and proceed to issue marriage licenses.
On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges that state level bans on gay marriage violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Obergefell was
the culmination of over a year of judicial rulings that struck down
several state constitutional amendments passed by popular referenda.
Since
the Supreme Court's decision, many county clerks across the nation have
either refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples or resigned
from their posts.
In July, Davis
refused to follow an order from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Kentucky demanding that she issue marriage licenses to gay
couples.
During the appeals process for the legal action against
her, Davis was eventually given a stay on the decision that expired on
Monday. An attempt to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court failed.
"To
issue a marriage license which conflicts with God's definition of
marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my
conscience," stated Davis on Tuesday.
"It
is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision. For me it
is a decision of obedience. I have no animosity toward anyone and
harbor no ill will. To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It
is about marriage and God's Word."
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