In Gay Marriage Dispute, Judge Jails Clerk Over Issuing Licenses

A federal judge ordered a Kentucky county clerk to jail Thursday on contempt of court charges after she repeatedly refused to grant marriage licenses of any kind following the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage.

U.S. District Judge David Bunning ruled that Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis would remain locked up until she agreed to follow a court order to issue marriage licenses, according to the Associated Press. The judge also ruled that her deputy clerks had until 1:45 p.m. to decide whether they would issue licenses or join their boss in jail.

The AP reported that five of the six deputies agreed to give licenses Friday. Davis’s son was the lone holdout.

Bunning offered a compromise that would let Davis out of jail if she agreed not to interfere with her deputies issuing licenses. She refused.

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Davis recently told Fox News that she was “prepared to go to jail” for not providing marriage licenses, citing her religious beliefs. She also refused to allow her staff to issue licenses.

Hundreds of demonstrators had gathered outside of the courthouse Thursday, some in protest and some in support of the embattled clerk who came under fire for her refusal to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling, which found that all Americans have a Constitutional right to marriage.

Davis hasn’t issued any marriage licenses since that June ruling despite multiple court orders to do so, including one from Bunning on August 12. Six gay couples in Rowan County have sued her over the license denials, according to the Herald-Leader.

“Our system of justice requires citizens - and significantly, elected officials - to follow the rules of the courts,” said Bunning, who was appointed in 2002 by George W. Bush.

Davis herself has been married four times and told Fox News, “My God in heaven knows every crack, every crevice, every deep place in my heart.”

Image via YouTube.