Ex-Kentucky clerk Kim Davis asks Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage ruling: ‘Legal fiction’ 
Share and Follow

Kim Davis, the ex-Kentucky clerk known for denying a marriage license to a gay couple, has requested the Supreme Court to re-evaluate its pivotal ruling on same-sex marriage, criticizing it as a “legal fiction.”

In 2015, Davis, then 59, was jailed for five days after refusing to grant a marriage license to gay couple David Ermold and David Moore, following the Supreme Court’s nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in the Obergefell v. Hodges case.

As a result, the former Rowan County clerk was ordered to pay $100,000 in jury-awarded damages for emotional distress, along with $260,000 in attorneys’ fees to the couple.

She asked the high court – in a 90-page filing last month – to review a lower court’s 2022 finding that she violated Ermold and Moore’s constitutional right to marry and revisit its decision in the same-sex marriage case. 

“If ever a case deserved review, the first individual who was thrown in jail post-Obergefell for seeking accommodation for her religious beliefs should be it,” Liberty Counsel, the nonprofit law firm representing Davis, wrote in the petition. 

“Davis was jailed, haled before a jury, and now faces crippling monetary damages based on nothing more than purported emotional distress,” the filing continued, arguing that Davis was protected by her First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion in denying the marriage licences. 

The petition also asks the justices to consider “whether Obergefell v. Hodges … and the legal fiction of substantive due process, should be overturned.” 

“Kim Davis’ case underscores why the US Supreme Court should overturn the wrongly decided Obergefell v. Hodges opinion because it threatens the religious liberty of Americans who believe that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman,” Mat Staver, the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said in a statement.

“Obergefell cannot just push the First Amendment aside to punish individuals for their beliefs about marriage,” Staver added. “The First Amendment precludes making the choice between your faith and your livelihood.”

“The High Court now has the opportunity to finally overturn this egregious opinion from 2015.”

William Powell, an attorney for Ermold and Moore, told The Post that he is “confident” the Supreme Court won’t take up Davis’ case.  

“We are confident the Supreme Court, like the court of appeals, will conclude that Davis’s arguments do not merit further attention,” Powell, who serves as senior counsel at Georgetown University’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, said in a statement. 

“Marriage equality is settled law,” he added. 

The Supreme Court previously denied a 2020 petition from Davis to consider her appeal. 

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
What are federal child care funds? What to know amid planned funding freeze

Exploring Federal Child Care Funds: Key Insights as Funding Freeze Looms

The Trump administration has announced a nationwide suspension of child care funding…
Ex-police officer given prison time in case prosecuted under Soros DA sees conviction overturned a year later

Former Officer’s Conviction Reversed One Year After Soros-Backed DA Secures Sentence

The 7th Court of Appeals in Texas has overturned the conviction of…
NFL rules on Stefon Diggs, Christian Barmore's statuses for Sunday

NFL Announces Game Day Decisions for Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore

New England Patriots players Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore are both set…
Trump WITHDRAWS National Guard troops from three Democratic cities

Trump Orders Withdrawal of National Guard Troops from Three Major Cities

Donald Trump has officially pulled the National Guard troops out of the…
Artist, 80, and her two sons among four killed in triple murder-suicide in upscale Seattle suburb

Tragic Seattle Suburb Incident: Renowned 80-Year-Old Artist and Sons Among Four Victims in Shocking Triple Murder-Suicide

In a tragic turn of events, an 80-year-old artist, her two sons,…
'Super' virus surges as experts warn 'we don't know when it will stop'

Unstoppable ‘Super’ Virus Sparks Alarm: Experts Caution on Unpredictable Spread

The United States is currently grappling with a surge in ‘super flu’…
Gov. DeSantis makes new appointment to St. Augustine Airport Authority

Governor DeSantis Announces Fresh Leadership for St. Augustine Airport Authority

Should the Florida Senate confirm him, Daniel Bean is set to become…
Texas woman tries to flee to Mexico across Rio Grande with infant after human smuggling bust, authorities say

Texas Woman Allegedly Attempts Rio Grande Escape to Mexico with Infant Following Human Smuggling Crackdown, Authorities Report

In a dramatic incident near the Texas-Mexico border, a woman, Brenda Castro,…