WASHINGTON (RTWNews) — The Supreme Court has made a definitive statement by refusing to hear an appeal that sought to nullify the foundational decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. This decision cements the court's previous ruling from Obergefell v. Hodges, issued in 2015.
Without elaboration, the justices dismissed the appeal presented by Kim Davis, a former county clerk from Kentucky known for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples shortly after the ruling. The appeal was centered around a demand to overturn a lower court’s judgment requiring Davis to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple she denied a license.
Davis's legal team pointed to Justice Clarence Thomas's previous comments advocating for a reconsideration of the same-sex marriage ruling. However, the current justices have maintained silence on the prospect of overturning it.
Current Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, who dissented back in 2015, have not openly supported overturning the 2015 decision, even as Alito has critiqued it. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a recent addition to the bench, has hinted that cases like same-sex marriage may differ from controversial decisions like that concerning abortion, given the societal reliance on the marriage ruling since its inception.
The Human Rights Campaign's president, Kelley Robinson, welcomed the Court's decision not to intervene, emphasizing the constitutional rights upheld through this ruling.
Davis previously captured national media attention when her personal beliefs prevented her from complying with court orders to issue marriage licenses, leading to her arrest for contempt of court in September 2015. After serving a brief time in jail, she was allowed to return home when her staff issued the licenses under her name as well.
Despite her notoriety, Davis faced a setback when she lost her reelection bid in 2018. The Kentucky legislature later modified laws to remove clerks' names from marriage licenses, streamlining the process.
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