Supreme Court Rejects Long-shot Effort To Overturn Same-sex Marriage Ruling

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court connected Monday turned distant a long-shot effort to overturn nan landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex matrimony nationwide.

Without comment, nan justices rejected an entreaty brought by Kim Davis, a erstwhile region clerk successful Kentucky who was sued successful 2015 for refusing to rumor matrimony licenses because of her guidance to same-sex matrimony based connected her belief beliefs.

Her latest entreaty successful nan case, brought a decade later, had attracted sizeable attraction amid fears that nan tribunal could overturn nan 2015 same-sex matrimony decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, successful nan aftermath of the 2022 ruling that overturned nan landmark abortion authorities decision, Roe v. Wade.

Some LGBTQ activists person pointed to blimpish Justice Clarence Thomas’ proposal successful his concurring sentiment successful nan determination overturning Roe that Obergefell and immoderate different cases should besides beryllium revisited arsenic a origin for concern.

But reconsidering Obergefell was not nan main ineligible mobility presented successful Davis’ appeal.

Although nan tribunal has a 6-3 blimpish majority, nary of nan different justices joined Thomas’ opinion.

Just past month, Justice Samuel Alito, who authored nan abortion ruling, indicated he was not pushing for Obergefell to beryllium overturned.

Davis, represented by nan blimpish group Liberty Counsel, refused to rumor immoderate matrimony licenses successful nan contiguous aftermath of nan Obergefell decision. She said that arsenic a blimpish Christian who opposed same-sex marriage, she should person a belief correct not to put her sanction connected matrimony licenses involving same-sex couples.

Her agency successful Rowan County, Kentucky, denied licenses to respective specified couples, including David Moore and David Ermold, who subsequently revenge a civilian authorities lawsuit.

Davis was ordered to rumor a licence for Moore and Ermold, but defied nan tribunal injunction and still refused to do so. The judge past held her successful contempt, and she was jailed for six days.

While she was jailed, Moore and Ermold were capable to get their matrimony license.

Subsequently, nan authorities changed nan rule successful bid to reside nan controversy, allowing for a licence to beryllium issued without nan clerk’s sanction connected it.

But Davis’ lawsuit continued, pinch Moore and Ermold seeking damages for nan first refusal.

After lengthy litigation, a assemblage awarded $100,000 successful damages. Davis was besides required to salary $260,000 successful attorney’s fees, according to her lawyers.

Davis past appealed, claiming that she should person been capable to mention arsenic a defense her correct to nan free workout of belief nether nan Constitution’s First Amendment.

After losing an entreaty astatine nan Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals successful March this year, Davis turned to nan Supreme Court, raising that mobility arsenic good arsenic nan overmuch much contentious rumor of whether Obergefell should beryllium overturned.

While nan Supreme Court has for now fixed nary denotation it would activity to overturn Obergefell, it has successful different rulings successful nan past decade strengthened belief authorities astatine nan disbursal of LGBTQ rights, including by expanding nan expertise of group to activity exemptions from laws they entity to because of their faith.