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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 21 March 2022
Judge: Same-sex marriage license denials violated rights

By JONATHAN MATTISE get their day in court and
Associated Press they’re confident justice
A federal judge has ruled will be served.”
that a former Kentucky Liberty Counsel, the law
clerk violated the constitu- firm that represents Davis,
tional rights of two same- said the case could return
sex couples who were to the Supreme Court.
among those to whom she The group pointed to com-
wouldn’t issue marriage ments on the 2020 ruling
licenses — a refusal that by Supreme Court Justice
sparked international at- Clarence Thomas, when he
tention and briefly landed wrote for himself and Jus-
her in jail in 2015. tice Samuel Alito.
U.S. District Judge David Thomas wrote that while
Bunning in Ashland issued he agreed with the deci-
the ruling Friday in two long- sion not to hear the Davis
standing lawsuits involving case regarding the immu-
Kim Davis, the former clerk nity claims in 2020, it was a
of Rowan County, and “stark reminder of the con-
two same-sex couples who sequences” of the court’s
sued her. With the decision, 2015 decision in the same-
a jury trial will still need to sex marriage case.
take place to decide on Because of that case, he
any damages the couples In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Kim Davis, the county clerk for Rowan County in Kentucky, works wrote, “those with sincerely
could be owed. with the county election board on Election Day, in Morehead, Ky. Associated Press held religious beliefs con-
Bunning reasoned that Da- cerning marriage will find it
vis “cannot use her own late Plaintiffs’ right.” refusal. She was released fied immunity protected increasingly difficult to par-
constitutional rights as a Soon after the 2015 Su- only after her staff issued her from being sued for ticipate in society without
shield to violate the con- preme Court decision in the licenses on her behalf damages by couples David running afoul” of the case
stitutional rights of others which same-sex couples but removed her name Ermold and David Moore “and its effect on other an-
while performing her duties won the right to marry na- from the form. The state as well as James Yates and tidiscrimination laws.”
as an elected official.” tionwide, Davis, a Christian legislature later enacted a Will Smith. The U.S. Supreme “Kim Davis is entitled to
“It is readily apparent who has a religious objec- law removing the names of Court in October 2020 left protection to an accom-
that Obergefell recog- tion to same-sex marriage, all county clerks from state in place a decision that al- modation based on her sin-
nizes Plaintiffs’ Fourteenth stopped issuing all mar- marriage licenses. lowed the lawsuit to move cere religious belief,” said
Amendment right to mar- riage licenses. Davis, a Republican, ulti- forward, declining to take Mat Staver, Liberty Coun-
ry,” the judge wrote, refer- That led to lawsuits against mately lost her bid for re- the case. sel founder and chairman.
encing the landmark same- her, and a judge ordered election in 2018. Democrat Michael Gartland, an attor- “This case raises serious First
sex marriage Obergefell Davis to issue the licenses. Elwood Caudill Jr. is now ney for the plaintiffs in the Amendment free exercise
decision. “It is also readily She was sued by gay and the county’s clerk. case, told WKYT-TV “they of religion claims and has a
apparent that Davis made straight couples, and spent Davis had argued that a couldn’t be more happy high potential of reaching
a conscious decision to vio- five days in jail over her legal doctrine called quali- that they’re finally going to the Supreme Court.”q

Gunfire at Arkansas car show leaves 1

dead, 24 wounded

among those wounded. cluded a bonfire, a basket- pressed condolences to
“As the investigation con- ball tournament, musical the victims’ families and
tinues I will examine details performances, a teen par- the community.
to see if there are any steps ty and a balloon release. “For something like this to
that could have been tak- “The purpose of Hood-Nic happen, it’s a tragedy,”
en to prevent this type of has always been to bring McGehee told KATV. “We
tragedy,” Hutchinson said. the community together,” did this here for 16 years
Dumas is a city of about the foundation said on without a problem.”
4,000 located about 90 its Facebook page. “This Chris Jones, a Democrat
miles (144 kilometers) south senseless violence needs running for Arkansas gov-
of Little Rock. The car to end.” Six children who ernor, tweeted that was at
Crime scene tape lies on the ground, Sunday, March 20, 2022 show is part of a commu- were wounded by gun- the event earlier Saturday,
at the scene where a shooting that left over 20 injured and one
dead occurred Saturday night in Dumas, Ark. nity event held each spring fire were taken to Arkan- registering voters and en-
Associated Press called Hood-Nic, which is sas Children’s Hospital in joying “a positive family at-
short for neighborhood pic- Little Rock, according to a mosphere.”
DUMAS, Ark. (AP) — One said what led to Saturday nic. The Hood-Nic Founda- spokeswoman. Most had “I am deeply saddened
person was killed and 24 night’s shooting in Dumas, tion says on its website that been released as of Sun- (and honestly angered) by
others wounded when but Gov. Asa Hutchinson its mission is to “rebuild, re- day afternoon. this tragedy,” Jones said in
gunfire erupted during a said on Twitter that there unite, and respond to the Messages left at a hospital a statement.
car show that is part of an were two suspects, one of needs of the youth in our in Dumas and another in Hutchinson said that the
annual community event whom had been arrested communities.” nearby McGehee were not man who was arrested was
in a small southeast Arkan- and was being held on un- The event, which helps immediately returned. from Jacksonville, which
sas town, authorities said related charges. raise funds for scholarships Wallace McGehee, the is just northeast of Little
Sunday. Police have not At least six children were and school supplies, also in- car show’s organizer, ex- Rock.q