Jailed Kentucky Clerk Appeals Contempt Of Court Ruling

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Attorneys for Kim Davis filed an appeal Sunday of the contempt of court ruling that landed the defiant Rowan County, Kentucky clerk in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Davis was taken into custody Thursday after U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered her held in contempt of court until she agreed to comply with previous court orders to begin granting the licenses. But the conservative Christian law firm Liberty Counsel, which is representing Davis, argued that Davis was given no notice that her failure to comply with the orders would result in her incarceration.

“Mrs. Davis is entitled to proper notice and due process when she is
threatened with the loss of her freedom,” Mat Staver, the founder of Liberty Counsel, said in a press release. “There was no indication that she would be incarcerated. We will be presenting our arguments on appeal and asking for an expedited ruling.”

In a Friday press conference outside the Carter County Detention Center, where Davis is being held, Staver accused Bunning of having decided to incarcerate Davis before testimony in the contempt of court hearing even began.

Davis’ husband, Joe Davis, told reporters Friday that his wife would remain in jail rather than resign her position as chief clerk.

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Notable Replies

  1. When one is told to comply with the courts or face the consequences, that is all the warning you get. Fail to comply and you get fined or slapped into a jail cell. Staver is just dragging this out as long as he can like he did with Lisa Miller so that he could torture and hurt LGBT people.

  2. Only way to get “Kim Davis” and “appealing” in the same sentence

  3. Avatar for xyxox xyxox says:

    Contempt of Court charges are incredibly rarely overturned on appeal. I suspect the same will hold true in this case because Kim Davis is obviously in direct contempt of court. The attorneys who filed this piece of nonsense are truly committing malpractice.

  4. Avatar for mantan mantan says:

    The Honorable David L. Bunning
    United States District Judge
    US District Court
    35 West 5th Street
    Covington, KY 41011

    Tammy Ziegelmeyer, Deputy-in-Charge
    35 W. 5th Street
    Covington, KY 41011-1401

    Phone: (859) 392 - 7925

    US District Court
    Eastern District of Kentucky
    101 Barr Street
    Lexington, KY 40507

    Phone: (859) 233 - 2503

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