WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage, turning away an appeal from a former Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The justices, without comment, declined to hear the case of Kim Davis, the former Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk who became a national figure in 2015 when she defied federal court orders to issue the licenses, citing her religious beliefs.
Davis's appeal stemmed from a lawsuit filed by same-sex couples she had denied licenses to. Her lawyers had asked the high court to not only shield her from a lower-court order to pay damages but also to take the opportunity to "overrule Obergefell," referring to the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
By declining to hear the case, the Supreme Court leaves the Obergefell ruling and its nationwide precedent in place. The court's action also lets stand a lower-court ruling that found Davis, acting in her official capacity as a government agent, was not protected by qualified immunity and could be sued for damages for violating the couples' clearly established rights.
Following the 2015 Obergefell ruling, Davis refused to issue any marriage licenses, citing "God's authority." Her actions led to a high-profile legal battle in which she was briefly jailed for contempt of court.
Her case was seen by many as the most direct challenge to the 2015 marriage ruling. The Supreme Court’s rejection of the appeal, which came with no noted dissents, ends her decade-long legal battle over the incident.
