Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has won the fight for religious freedom after a federal judge issued an order dismissing all three 2015 marriage license lawsuits against her yesterday. U.S. Judge David Bunning dismissed in their entirety, Miller v. Davis, Ermold v. Davis and Yates v. Davis, which brings to an end the trial proceedings against her arising from the 2015 Obergefell decision.
Despite the ACLU’s attempt to continue the case against Kim Davis and assess damages against her, the federal district court dismissed the case, closed the files and ordered all the pending cases to be removed from the docket.
Davis, represented by Liberty Counsel, spent six days in jail last year for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in violation of her right to freedom of conscience. Davis would not issue the licenses because they had her name and authority on them. As a result, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed an executive order creating one marriage license form which does not require the county clerk’s name and title. The Kentucky General Assembly made Governor Bevin’s changes permanent with a bill that passed the State House with a 97-0 vote followed by a 36-0 vote in the State Senate. Bevin said his signature on the unanimous bipartisan legislation brought “statutory finality to the marriage license dilemma.”
“Kim Davis has won! We celebrate this victory for her and for every American,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “County clerks are now able to perform their public service without being forced to compromise their religious liberty. The case is now closed and the door has been shut on the ACLU’s attempt to assess damages against Kim Davis. This victory is not just for Kim Davis. It is a victory for everyone who wants to remain true to their deeply-held religious beliefs regarding marriage while faithfully serving the public,” said Staver.
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