Kentucky Country Clerk Kim Davis to Return to Work
After spending five days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis says she plans to return to work as soon as Friday.
The 49-year-old Rowan County clerk made headlines for refusing to grant licenses to same-sex couples in light of the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the ban on gay marriage. After Davis was sued by local couples, Federal District Court Judge David L. Bunning ordered her to issue licenses. Both the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court then denied her request to delay the order while she filed for an appeal, reports the New York Times.
Still, Davis maintained that her Christian beliefs prevent her from supporting gay marriage. As a result, last Thursday she was held in contempt of court and jailed for defying court orders by refusing to sign marriage licenses to couples in Rowan County. A judge then released her from jail on Tuesday on the condition that she does not try to stop the deputies in her office from issuing the licenses, reports CNN. Upon her release, she was greeted by dozens of supporters, including Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.
Despite the controversy, Davis says she won't resign from her position. In addition, the Liberty Counsel, a Christian law firm representing Davis, revealed that the embattled clerk will return to work on Friday or Monday. For now, she plans to spend time with her family.
"I am deeply moved by all those who prayed for me. All I can say is that I am amazed and very grateful," she said in a statement issued through her lawyers. "I am enjoying spending time with my husband, my family, and my three dogs. I have also been spending time reading boxes of letters expressing support and prayers from people around the country."
The statement did not confirm whether or not Davis would allow her office to grant licenses.
While Davis was locked in the Carter County Detention Center, her deputies issued gay marriage licenses as mandated by the court, reports USA Today. Her attorneys, however, argue that the licenses issued in her absence are invalid and that Davis still refuses to authorize them.
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