“Laws For Thee, But Not For Me”: Kentucky’s Kim Davis Jailed, Held In Contempt
Federal judges really don’t like it when people ignore court orders and claim the law doesn’t apply to them.
A federal judge has ordered a Kentucky clerk to jail after she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Kim Davis, a clerk in Rowan County, was found in contempt of court on Thursday morning…. Davis, in tears, said on the stand that she could not comply with the judge’s order. U.S. Marshals later took her into custody.
As she was being led out of the courtroom, the clerk said, “Thank you, judge.”
Davis, if you’re just joining us, is paid by taxpayers to issue marriage licenses, but she refuses to provide licenses to couples she finds morally objectionable, citing “God’s authority.” Davis and her lawyers have filed several appeals, all of which lost.
She could, of course, find some other job – one that doesn’t pit her professional responsibilities against her spiritual beliefs – but she refuses to do so. As we talked about yesterday, Davis feels entitled to keep her job and refuse to do her job at the same time.
U.S. District Judge David Bunning, appointed to the bench by George W. Bush, apparently didn’t find this persuasive.
Just so news consumers are clear, if you hear that Davis was jailed for her opposition to marriage equality, this is incorrect. She was taken into custody because she deliberately, brazenly ignored a court order. Davis was bound, not only to perform her official duties, but also to follow the law. She refused and is now in contempt of court.
Marriage-equality proponents did not ask the judge in the case to take her into custody, but by some measures, Judge Bunning didn’t have much of a choice.
By: Steve Benen, The Maddow Blog, September 3, 2015
She is hypocrisy personified. I don’t even know how she managed to marry 4 times, ( looking the way she is … yeah, I’m insulting her ! ) divorced 3 times, and had children ( 2 ) out of wedlock. It’s unbelievable. I think there’s some loose screws somewhere in her head. ( yeah, I’m insulting her , again ! )
LikeLike
She insulted the nation and humiliated herself by blatantly putting herself above the law. She brought it on herself and insulting her is a privilege!!
LikeLike
Senator Lindsey Graham echoed what the judge said. We are a nation of laws and she took an oath. He added she has the right to disagree, but if she cannot comply with her oath, she needs to find another job.
LikeLike