Judge David Bunning has ordered Kim Davis to be jailed for contempt for defying court orders to issue licenses. She has already been taken into the custody of the federal marshal and will remain there until she agrees to comply with his orders.
“The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order,” Judge Bunning said. “If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that’s what potentially causes problems.”
You can see a timeline of today’s events with live updates here.
The judge said that he was not imposing a fine as requested by the attorneys for the couples denied licenses because it would not be a deterrent since someone else would pay the fine. He also warned the deputy clerks that the same fate would befall them if they too refuse to issue licenses. He gave them time until 1:45pm today to meet with public defenders and decide what they will do when he reconvenes the hearing.
Here is video of the scenes outside the courthouse.
He also warned the deputy clerks that the same fate would befall them if they too refuse to issue licenses. He gave them time until 1:45pm today to meet with public defenders and decide what they will do when he reconvenes the hearing.
Well, if previous reports are correct, then there is at least one deputy clerk who has already decided to issue licenses, even to same sex couples, and there is probably a second.
I wonder if they’re rolling their eyes, wondering why they have to go through all this trouble just to do their damn jobs.
He’s right about the fine, so locking her up is the correct decision. Now her deputies can issue licenses without the specter of Davis looming above them. With just fines for Davis, that would not happen. I shed no tears for her. Now what will her sleazy lawyers at Liberty do?
Hey, whatever happened to the bike-riding clerk who vowed to die before issuing licenses to same sex couples?
#3,
As far as I know, he’s still out there in the wilderness riding his bike instead of doing his job.
Good afternoon Mano,
Driving home this afternoon I heard the most recent news and this thought occurred to me.
How might Davis have reacted when she applied for her 2nd, 3rd or 4th marriage license only to be turned away because the religious beliefs of the registrar did not recognize a state’s right to grant a divorce and so would have seen Davis as an adulteress to be stoned?
Just an interesting thought.
Jeff Hess
Have Coffee Will Write
@hyphenman, #5
Apples and oranges. You’re comparing the actions of a Real True Christian Clerk and those of a Christian In Name Only Clerk.
I’ll let you sort out which is which.
@ No. 6 oualwouszon,
Clearly you must be of the Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.
Yours in the real world,
Jeff Hess
Have Coffee Will Write
If the judge had a sense of humor, he would have imposed a fine of $1, to be doubled every day of non-compliance. That would have solved the problem of anybody else paying the fine, within a few weeks at most.
Good. Hopefully this will cost her job.
Wouldn’t the fact that Davis has admitted she is unwilling and -- according to her legal defence -- mentally or even physically incapable of doing her actual job be enough to count as a resignation? Or grounds for immediate dismissal? (Or both?) The Judge should’ve told her to either do her work or resign as incapable of doing her job according to her own legal defence -- her choice. But this is good too.
That video… That just looks like a horrible mess out there. I guess one of the last great refuges of those who insist their faith in a deity who loves everyone keeps them from acting like responsible, compassionate adults is to throw dignity to the wind and grandstand. Or whatever the Amish are doing I guess, but these fruitloops are still working through the stages of grief as they realize they’re not the majority and can’t force their ugly opinions on the majority anymore.