Appeals court says same-sex couple can sue Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis for damages
Nearly two years after being denied a marriage license by Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, a gay couple has finally won court approval to move forward with a lawsuit. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court reversed a lower court's ruling, granting the couple, David Ermold and David Moore, the right to sue Davis for damages.
In an incident captured in a video that went viral, Davis, citing her religious beliefs, refused the couple a marriage license despite the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. The couple's case was originally tossed out by a lower court in August because of a state law excusing county clerks like Davis from signing same-sex marriage licenses, and because Davis' office did eventually grant the couple a marriage license.
However, the court ruled Tuesday that the lower court incorrectly characterized the case as "simply contesting the 'no marriage licenses' policy," when in fact the couple "only sought damages." "The next step will be to go to discovery and go to trial, where I am confident we will obtain a judgment against Davis," said Michael Gartland, a lawyer for the couple.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Anders Breivik to testify in prison isolation lawsuit against Norway
Speed Read Far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 claims he has received 'inhuman treatment' in custody
By The Week UK Published