Clerk Who Refused Marriage Licenses To Gay Couples Receives Jail Time

Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who made headlines this week after refusing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, was reportedly jailed earlier today.

Davis disobeyed several official orders to fulfill her duties, including a Supreme Court order finalized this week.

A conservative Apostolic Christian, Davis cited “God's authority” as the reason for her resistance to same-sex marriages.

The Rowan County clerk was finally arrested this morning for contempt, and she was reportedly escorted from court by federal marshals. Davis will apparently be held in jail until she agrees to issue marriage licenses to all applicants.

The order was given by Judge David L. Bunning of the Federal District Court. Prior to Davis' exit from the courtroom, Judge Bunning announced,

The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order. If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that's what potentially causes problems.

Problems are aplenty where Davis is concerned.

The clerk vocalized her disapproval of the district court's decision, arguing there are “less restrictive alternatives” to her punishment than the contempt charge and suggesting swearing in another clerk who could sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples, Huffington Post reports.

She claimed she will not sign the licenses because doing so “irreparably and irreversibly violates her conscience.”

Several same-sex couples filed lawsuits against the clerk, but interestingly, it's reported they requested looser punishments for her: fines, not jail time.

If the Supreme Court plans to jail her until she comes around, Davis could remain incarcerated for the remainder of her term as a Rowan County clerk.

Citations: Kentucky Clerk Who Won't Give Marriage Licenses To Same-Sex Couples Is Going To Jail (Huffington Post), Kim Davis Jailed for Contempt in Kentucky Gay Marriage Dispute (The New York Times)