Federal Court Rules Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis Must Pay $224,000

August 23, 2019 By Michael Stone

Justice: A federal appeals court has ruled that former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, the anti-gay Kentucky clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, must pay $224,000 in legal fees incurred for violating the civil rights of same-sex couples.

Friendly Atheist reports:

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that former Rowan County (KY) Clerk Kim Davis is responsible for paying nearly $225,000 in court costs and attorneys’ fees after losing a legal battle for defying the law when she refused to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples.

Commenting on the decision, William E. Sharp, cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Kentucky, said:

The Court of Appeals correctly found that April Miller and the other ACLU clients prevailed by forcing the former Clerk to abandon her unlawful policy of withholding marriage licenses from the public. By affirming the sizeable fee award, the Court also sent a strong message to other government officials in Kentucky that it is not only unconstitutional to use public office to impose one’s personal religious views on others, but that it also can be a very expensive mistake.

BREAKING: A federal appeals court just upheld a ruling requiring Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses after marriage equality became the law, to pay $224,000 in attorney’s fees and costs.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is responsible for paying. pic.twitter.com/PCMfBEy5wk

— ACLU (@ACLU) August 23, 2019

Previously, lawyers for Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin declared that former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis must pay the $224,000 in legal fees incurred because she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

The Lexington Herald Leader reports:

Citing “conduct that violates civil rights,” lawyers for Gov. Matt Bevin say former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis should be held responsible for nearly $225,000 in legal fees and court costs incurred by couples who sued her in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses because of her religious opposition to same-sex marriage.

Writing in a legal brief, Bevin attorney Palmer G. Vance II stated:

Her local policy stood in direct conflict with her statutory obligation to issue marriage licenses to qualified Kentucky couples. The local policy also undermined the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s interest in upholding the rule of law.

Davis had an independent and sworn duty to uphold the law as an elected county officer. If fees are awarded, they must be the responsibility of the Rowan County clerk’s office, which should be deterred from engaging in conduct that violates civil rights — and leads to costly litigation.

Davis made national headlines for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June of 2015.

In 2015 Davis spent five days behind bars for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses — something she was legally obligated to do under state and federal law.

An Apostolic Christian, Davis claimed that issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples would violate her deeply held religious beliefs.

Previously, before going to jail, in an exclusive interview to Fox News, Davis said:

I’ve weighed the cost and I’m prepared to go to jail, I sure am. This has never been a gay or lesbian issue for me. This is about upholding the word of God.

This is a heaven or hell issue for me and for every other Christian that believes. This is a fight worth fighting.

Davis became a Christian martyr after refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. In fact, the anti-gay county clerk from Kentucky who went to jail in a futile attempt to prevent same-sex marriage was honored with the 2015 “Cost of Discipleship Award” at the Values Voter Summit in Washington D.C.

However, Davis lost her bid for re-election in 2018.

Bottom line: Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who went to jail rather than give gays a marriage license, must pay $224,000 in legal fees incurred because she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, and in so doing violated the civil rights of same-sex couples trying to get married.

Federal Court Rules Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis Must Pay $224,000 (Image via Twitter)

Update: Christian Martyr Kim Davis Says Taxpayers Should Pay Her $222K Legal Fees

February 1, 2019 By Michael Stone

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Former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, the anti-gay Kentucky clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, wants taxpayers to pay her $222,000 legal fees incurred for violating the civil rights of same-sex couples.

Rolling Stone reports:

Davis — ousted from her clerk job in an election last November — has filed her own legal brief in the case, countering that Kentucky taxpayers must be forced to pay for her religious objections: “The Commonwealth is liable,” her legal team argues, “because Davis acted as a state official for purposes of marriage licensing.”

Earlier this week lawyers for Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin said former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis must pay $222,000 in legal fees incurred because she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Now layers for Davis are trying to escape the debt.

Davis, the county clerk who illegally denied marriage licenses to gay couples, is asking the court to force taxpayers to pay her $222,000 legal bill.

Kentucky Governor Bevin, a conservative Christian, once pledged his support to Davis, but now his lawyers are claiming Davis must pay.

The Lexington Herald Leader reports:

Citing “conduct that violates civil rights,” lawyers for Gov. Matt Bevin say former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis should be held responsible for nearly $225,000 in legal fees and court costs incurred by couples who sued her in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses because of her religious opposition to same-sex marriage.

Writing in a legal brief, Bevin attorney Palmer G. Vance II stated:

Her local policy stood in direct conflict with her statutory obligation to issue marriage licenses to qualified Kentucky couples. The local policy also undermined the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s interest in upholding the rule of law.

Davis had an independent and sworn duty to uphold the law as an elected county officer. If fees are awarded, they must be the responsibility of the Rowan County clerk’s office, which should be deterred from engaging in conduct that violates civil rights — and leads to costly litigation.

Davis made national headlines for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June of 2015.

In 2015 Davis spent five days behind bars for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses — something she was legally obligated to do under state and federal law.

An Apostolic Christian, Davis claimed that issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples would violate her deeply held religious beliefs.

Previously, before going to jail, in an exclusive interview to Fox News, Davis said:

I’ve weighed the cost and I’m prepared to go to jail, I sure am. This has never been a gay or lesbian issue for me. This is about upholding the word of God.

This is a heaven or hell issue for me and for every other Christian that believes. This is a fight worth fighting.

However, Davis lost her bid for re-election in 2018.

Bottom line: Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who went to jail rather than give gays a marriage license, wants taxpayers to pay her $222,000 in legal fees incurred because she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses and in so doing violated the civil rights of same-sex couples trying to get married.

(Large portions of this story were previously published here.)

Update: Christian Martyr Kim Davis Says Taxpayers Should Pay Her $222K Legal Fees (Image via Twitter)

Report: Anti-Gay Christian Martyr Kim Davis Must Pay $222K In Legal Fees

January 31, 2019 By Michael Stone

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Lawyers for Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin say former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis must pay $222,000 in legal fees incurred because she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Bevin, a conservative Christian, once pledged his support to Davis, but now his lawyers are claiming Davis must pay.

The Lexington Herald Leader reports:

Citing “conduct that violates civil rights,” lawyers for Gov. Matt Bevin say former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis should be held responsible for nearly $225,000 in legal fees and court costs incurred by couples who sued her in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses because of her religious opposition to same-sex marriage.

Writing in a legal brief, Bevin attorney Palmer G. Vance II stated:

Her local policy stood in direct conflict with her statutory obligation to issue marriage licenses to qualified Kentucky couples. The local policy also undermined the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s interest in upholding the rule of law.

Davis had an independent and sworn duty to uphold the law as an elected county officer. If fees are awarded, they must be the responsibility of the Rowan County clerk’s office, which should be deterred from engaging in conduct that violates civil rights — and leads to costly litigation.

Davis made national headlines for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June of 2015.

In 2015 Davis spent five days behind bars for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses — something she was legally obligated to do under state and federal law.

An Apostolic Christian, Davis claimed that issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples would violate her deeply held religious beliefs.

Previously, before going to jail, in an exclusive interview to Fox News, Davis said:

I’ve weighed the cost and I’m prepared to go to jail, I sure am. This has never been a gay or lesbian issue for me. This is about upholding the word of God.

This is a heaven or hell issue for me and for every other Christian that believes. This is a fight worth fighting.

However, Davis lost her bid for re-election in 2018.

Bottom line: Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who went to jail rather than give gays a marriage license, must pay $222,000 in legal fees incurred because she refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses and in so doing violated the civil rights of same-sex couples trying to get married.

Report: Anti-Gay Christian Martyr Kim Davis Must Pay $222K In Legal Fees (Image via Screen Grab)

Anti-Gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Loses Re-Election Bid

November 7, 2018 By Michael Stone

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Christian martyr loses: Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who went to jail rather than give gays a marriage license, lost her bid for re-election.

However, despite the accolades from anti-gay Christians, Davis, a Republican, lost her re-election bid to a Democrat, Elwood Caudill Jr.
Caudill defeated Davis 54 percent to 46 percent, and will serve a four-year term as the new Rowan County Clerk.

In 2015 Davis spent five days behind bars for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses — something she was legally obligated to do under state and federal law.

Davis made national headlines for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June of 2015.

An Apostolic Christian, Davis claimed that issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples would violate her deeply held religious beliefs.

Previously, before going to jail, in an exclusive interview to Fox News, Davis said:

I’ve weighed the cost and I’m prepared to go to jail, I sure am. This has never been a gay or lesbian issue for me. This is about upholding the word of God.

This is a heaven or hell issue for me and for every other Christian that believes. This is a fight worth fighting.

Reporting on the loss under the headline “Christian Adulteress Kim Davis Loses Her Fucking Job,” Joe My God notes:

Four times married Christian adulteress Kim Davis has lost her job as county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky. Davis, you surely recall, earned international headlines in 2015 for refusing to issue a same-sex marriage license on “God’s authority,” becoming a darling of anti-LGBT hate groups and going on to campaign for a failed same-sex marriage ban in Romania.

Bottom line: Kim Davis, the anti-gay Kentucky county clerk who went to jail rather than give gays a marriage license, lost her bid for re-election.

Anti-Gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Loses Re-Election Bid (Image via Screen Grab)

Gay Man Denied Marriage License By Kim Davis Now Running Against Her

December 6, 2017 By Michael Stone

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A gay man who was denied a marriage license by Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis announced that he will run against her in 2018.

David Ermold, 43, announced on Wednesday that he will run for Rowan County clerk in 2018, challenging current county clerk Kim Davis, who twice denied him a marriage license because he wanted to marry another man.

Ermold made his announcement via Twitter:

It’s official. I’m in! I am proud to announce my entrance into the race for Rowan County Clerk! I am running to restore the people’s confidence in our clerk’s office. Please visit my campaign website at http://www.davidermold.com where you can learn how to support our mission.

It’s official. I’m in! I am proud to announce my entrance into the race for Rowan County Clerk! I am running to restore the people’s confidence in our clerk’s office. Please visit my campaign website at https://t.co/Vm2myvRgIV where you can learn how to support our mission.

— David Ermold (@DErmold) December 6, 2017

CNN reports on the controversial backstory of Kim Davis:

Davis made headlines in 2015 when she defied a US Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She spent five days in jail for refusing to abide by the court’s ruling.

Indeed, the Kentucky county clerk and Christian extremist refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses because of her “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Rather than issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, Davis refused, and eventually went to jail, making her a Christian martyr, and the darling of right-wing Christian conservatives.

Ermold told the Lexington Herald Leader that he wants to “restore professional leadership, fairness, and responsibility to the clerk’s office,” saying:

I am running to restore the confidence of the people in our clerk’s office and because I believe that the leaders of our community should act with integrity and fairness, and they should put the needs of their constituents first. I will build upon the successes of the past, and I will seek solutions for the challenges we may still face.

While Ermold is clearly the superior candidate, the election will be tough. Raw Story reports Rowan County, population 24,000, voted for Donald Trump by a 58-37 margin in last year’s election.

Currently Ermold is an assistant English professor at the University of Pikeville. On his campaign website Ermold declares:

I am running to restore the people’s confidence in our clerk’s office and because I believe that the leaders of our community should put the needs of their constituents first, and they should always be an example of integrity and fairness.

Let’s hope Ermold defeats the anti-gay Christian extremist in 2018.

Gay Man Denied Marriage License By Kim Davis Now Running Against Her (Image via Screen Grab)

Kim Davis Faces $233K In Legal Fees After Losing Marriage Battle

November 4, 2016 By Michael Stone

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Kentucky clerk’s fight against same-sex marriage could be expensive.

Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Rowan County last year, might have to pay the legal fees and costs of her opponents.

Last month the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a motion in federal court seeking to recover $233,058 in attorneys’ fees and other expenses associated with fighting Kim Davis over marriage equality.

Last year the Kentucky county clerk and Christian extremist refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses because of her “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Rather than issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, Davis refused, and eventually went to jail, making her a Christian martyr for some, and the darling of right-wing Christian conservatives like former Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee.

Both Davis and Rowan County are named as defendants in the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

However, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Rowan County is now refusing to pay the costs, saying that Davis was acting on her own behalf, and did not act on behalf of Rowan County when she refused to issue marriage licenses,

Arguing that Davis is responsible for the costs, Jeffrey C. Mando, an attorney for Rowan County, said:

County clerks are not employees of the county, but instead are the holders of elective office pursuant to the Kentucky Constitution.

ACLU of Kentucky Legal Director William Sharp explained in a statement that he wants the fees to send a message about the high price of violating people’s rights:

Courts recognize that when successful civil rights plaintiffs obtain a direct benefit from a court-ordered victory, such as in this case, they can be entitled to their legal expenses to deter future civil rights violations by government officials.

Bottom line: Ignoring the law and denying basic rights because of “sincerely held religious beliefs” is not only immoral, it can also be expensive.

ACLU Sues Kim Davis And Rowan County For $233K In Legal Fees

September 23, 2016 By Michael Stone

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Kentucky clerk’s stand for anti-gay Christian hate could be expensive.

Earlier this week the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a motion in federal court seeking to recover $233,058 in attorneys’ fees and other expenses associated with fighting Kim Davis over marriage equality.

Last year the Kentucky county clerk and Christian extremist refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses because of her “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The Advocate reports the ACLU of Kentucky is seeking to recover $233,058 in attorneys’ fees and other expenses associated with the lawsuit it brought on behalf of several couples last year after Davis shut down marriage license operations in Rowan County, where she is the elected county clerk.

Last year, rather than issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, Davis refused, and eventually went to jail, making her a Christian martyr for some, and the darling of right-wing Christian conservatives like former Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee.

Both Davis and Rowan County are named as defendants in the motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. But “the motion does not call for Davis to personally pay the fees,” ACLU spokesman Ryan Karerat told BuzzFeed.

ACLU of Kentucky Legal Director William Sharp said Monday that he wanted the fees to send a message about the high price of violating people’s rights. He explained in a statement:

Courts recognize that when successful civil rights plaintiffs obtain a direct benefit from a court-ordered victory, such as in this case, they can be entitled to their legal expenses to deter future civil rights violations by government officials.

Sharp added:

By filing today’s motion, we hope to achieve that very objective — to send a message to government officials that willful violations of individuals’ rights will be costly.

However, Liberty Counsel, the Christian advocacy group that represented Davis in court, called the attempt to recoup fees a “Hail Mary” from the ACLU.

Mat Staver, the group’s chairman, said the ACLU is not entitled to attorney’s fees because the case was ultimately dismissed. In a statement Staver said:

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.

Bottom line: Ignoring the law and denying individuals basic rights because of “sincerely held religious beliefs” is not only immoral, it can also be expensive.

Kim Davis (Image via Carter County Jail)

Justice Kennedy To Kim Davis: Do Your Job Or Resign

October 27, 2015 By Michael Stone

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Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy says public officials who do not wish to follow the Court’s marriage equality decision should either do their job or resign.

Kennedy, the author of June’s landmark marriage equality decision, made the comment during an appearance at Harvard Law School Thursday, in response to a question from a student in the audience.

The student asked Kennedy:

Would you say that there are any state or federal officials with authority to act according to her own judgment of the truth of new insights or of the soundness of the court’s constitutional interpretation, or would it be illegal for any federal official or state official to enforce or to act according to the old understanding of life and the Constitution that she still judges to be the truth of the matter?

Kennedy responded in a roundabout way by discussing the government of Adolf Hitler during Germany’s Third Reich, and alluding to the fact that very few judges resigned from the Nazi German government. In his answer, Kennedy expressed admiration for officials who do resign when asked to do something they find morally repugnant.

Kennedy said:

Great respect, it seems to me, has to be given to people who resign rather than do something they view as morally wrong, in order to make a point.

Kennedy continued:

However, the rule of law is that, as a public official in performing your legal duties, you are bound to enforce the law.

In other words: Do your job or resign.

It should be noted that in the course of the discussion Kim Davis, the anti-gay Kentucky county clerk who said her religious beliefs will not allow her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and went to jail for defying a court order to do her job and issue said licenses, did not come up by name, nor did any of the other public officials around the nation who have similar objections to same-sex marriage.

However, the implication of Kennedy’s words for Davis and other anti-gay public officials cannot be ignored.

Bottom line: While Kennedy seems sympathetic to the dilemma Davis finds herself in while trying to reconcile her extreme religious beliefs with her duties as an elected public official, he makes it clear that public officials must do their duty and obey the law, or they must resign.

(H/T ThinkProgress. The exchange on the marriage equality decision begins around the 51-minute mark.)

Kentucky Governor Throws Kim Davis Under The Bus

October 14, 2015 By Michael Stone

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Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is refusing to even meet with a group of Christian conservatives demanding a religious accommodation for anti-gay Rowan County clerk Kim Davis.

A small group of influential Kentucky pastors representing the “Family Foundation of Kentucky,” was given the cold shoulder on Tuesday after demanding to meet with Governor Beshear.

The group was seeking a meeting with the governor to ask him for a special legislative session so that lawmakers can enact accommodations for county clerks like Davis who refuse to provide marriage licenses for same-sex couples because of their sincerely held religious beliefs.

However, the governor refused to meet with the group, and has repeatedly stated that he refuses to spend taxpayer money to call the legislature into special session.

Instead the group met with the governor’s chief of staff, Larry Bond.

Beshear spokesman Terry Sebastian said Bond told the group that the governor has no legal authority to relieve county clerks of their statutory duties through an executive order.

Sebastian, the Communications Director for the Office of Governor Beshear, issued the following statement:

The Governor’s chief of staff, Larry Bond, met with a group of ministers today. The Governor’s office is always happy to meet with community leaders and citizens and hear their ideas. Mr. Bond reminded the group, however, that the legislature has placed the authority to issue marriage licenses on county clerks by statute, and the Governor has no legal authority to relieve them of their statutory duty by executive order. The General Assembly will convene in just 12 weeks and can make any statutory changes it deems necessary at that time. The Governor sees no need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money calling a special session of the General Assembly when 117 of 120 county clerks are doing their jobs.

The Rev. Randy Smith, a spokesman for the anti-gay Christian group, said the pastors were not pleased with the response.

Good.

Bottom line: Governor Beshear is right to refuse to meet with the anti-gay pastors, and is right to refuse to call a special legislative session to make accommodations for Davis. As for Davis, she needs to do her job or resign.

Kim Davis Offered $500K To Do Interracial Lesbian Porn

October 7, 2015 By Michael Stone

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If anti-gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis ever gets tired of trying to deny same-sex marriage licenses to nice gay couples she has a career waiting for her in the adult entertainment industry.

Death and Taxes reports the bigot from Rowan County, Kentucky, has been offered $500,000 to participate in an interracial lesbian porn scene.

A new press release from “The Dogfart Network” is offering Davis half a million dollars to have sexual relations with a non-Caucasian woman.

The following is the press release in full via Death and Taxes:

With all the controversy surrounding Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis’ refusal to issue same sex marriage licenses even after the Supreme Court of the United States made same sex marriage the law of the land, The Dogfart Network which is the leading online destination for Adult Interracial content is offering the Holy Kim Davis a chance at redemption.

The undisputed kings of interracial porn are dangling $500k to star in a scene for their site ZebraGirls.com, which is one of 23 sites in the companies vast Adult Entertainment Empire. ZebraGirls.com specializes in Lesbian Interracial Erotica.

“We here at Dogfart have always believed in equality. We have interracial sites, gay sites, straight sites, and we think Kim Davis has been appalling,” said a Dogfart Spokesman. “We are giving her a chance at a redemption. We are willing to drop half a million bucks for Kim to come out to our studio and shoot an Interracial Lesbian scene for our network.”

The offer will stand for the next week. She is also welcome to bring her family with her on an all expense paid vacation.

The press release is dated October 6.

No word if Davis is considering the lucrative offer. However, if she takes a pass on porn, she will most likely make a fortune preaching her toxic brand of anti-gay Christianity to like minded bigots.

Last month, Republicans cheered as the anti-gay county clerk was honored for “her determined resistance to same-sex marriage” at the Values Voter Summit in Washington D.C.