Ten years after the Supreme Court extended marriage rights to same-sex couples nationwide, the justices this fall will consider for the first time whether to take up a case that explicitly asks them to overturn that decision.

Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for six days in 2015 after refusing to issue marriage licenses to a gay couple on religious grounds, is appealing a $100,000 jury verdict for emotional damages plus $260,000 for attorneys fees.

In a petition for writ of certiorari filed last month, Davis argues First Amendment protection for free exercise of religion immunizes her from personal liability for the denial of marriage licenses.

  • ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    70
    ·
    13 hours ago

    If they’re going to open the door to any government employee being able to refuse to do their job as directed on religious grounds, this country is going to grind to a halt.

    Just kidding, we all know that with the current court and administration, this will only allow people with the “right” religion to refuse.

    • yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      26
      ·
      13 hours ago

      An in-group that the law protects but does not bind, and an out-group that the law binds but does not protect. Conservatism in a nutshell.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      12 hours ago

      this country is going to grind to a halt

      In large part, it’s already been on that road for a while. De-industrialization, hyper-financialization, launching a pogrom against migrants, sky high tariffs fucking up the supply chain…

      This is one more bail of straw on the camel’s overloaded back.