BREAKING: Federal Judge: Alabama Judges Must Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

[kpete]

Source: NBC

A federal judge has issued an order directed at all probate judges in the state — who are responsible for issuing marriage licenses — that they can no longer decline to issue licenses to gay couples.

The order Tuesday morning from Judge Callie Granade is intended to resolve any lingering questions about what the officials are legally required to do.

It follows months of back-and-forth between state and federal judges. Confusion arose in February after Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who has authored several letters against federal courts overturning gay marriage bans, issued an order telling probate judges not to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples.



Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/federal-judge-alabama-judges-must-issue-same-sex-marriage-licenses-n385141

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/01/1398313/-BREAKING-Federal-Judge-Orders-Alabama-Comply-With-Supreme-Court

[swimboy]

1. Pwned, right?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Good. Once again making the point that

if we didn't have a halfway decent federal court system we'd be in a whole world of hurt.

[ananda]

7. Except for the Fifth Circuit of course.

..

[eggplant]

17. One of them has to come in last place. These days, it's the Fifth. n/t

[calimary]

3. Poor dears. Are they being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century?

They'd rather stay back in the Bronze Age, I guess. Must seem a lot more comfortable there. So why then do they also think they need iPhones and GPS devices and microwave ovens and computers and stuff?

[Hepburn]

5. And being thusly abused against their religious beliefs...

...GMAFB.

[turbinetree]

4. Now lets see .........................

if the chief justice of the state will do something different.
Because if he does he should be IMPEACHED and have his license permanently removed and be fined and go to jail, via the federal system-----------------------this is not about states rights there Roy Moore its about the "LAW of the LAND"

[Archae]

10. Again?

Moore decided to ignore the feds about his ugly rock, (which he sneaked into the Alabama state courthouse literally in the middle of the night,) and he got his sorry ass tossed from the bench.

Then he said "A vote fer me is a vote fer GAWD!" and got re-elected.

[Raster]

19. Trust me, if the recent marriage decision from SCOTUS went the way Judge Roy Moore had wanted,

....Moore and his judges would be falling all over themselves to "uphold the constitution" and enforce the law of the land.

He's a hypocrite and a theological fascist that will not be satisfied until his personal religious and morale beliefs are shoved down the throats of everyone in his state.

It is time for Judge Roy Moore - and his ilk - to find another profession.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. Hey, Judge Moore:

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Some southern marriage license officials won't budge on same-sex issue

The OP started this thread at 12:07 p.m. As I posted, at 12:42 p.m. EDT, AL.com still didn't have a story up about Judge Granade's order.

Some southern marriage license officials won't budge on same-sex issue

By The Associated Press
on July 01, 2015 at 11:20 AM

Gay couples can petition, protest and even sue — but that won't change Probate Judge Wes Allen's mind: He is not issuing them marriage licenses, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that marriage is a constitutional right equally held by all Americans.

Allen is the probate judge in Pike County, a county in southern Alabama with a population of about 33,000. He is among a handful of public officials across the Bible Belt so repulsed by the thought of enabling a same-sex marriage that they are defying the U.S. Supreme Court and refusing to issue a license to anyone, gay or straight.

Allen and other probate judges in the state cite Alabama Code section 30-1-9, which says marriage licenses "may" be issued by them — not that they must issue them.

Consequently, Allen says, he is "not in violation of any Supreme Court order. ... We're just going to hold the course and not issue any marriage licenses."

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

12. Then prevent them from EVER issuing marriage licenses again!

[ColesCountyDem]

16. How would you go about that?

Just curious.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

20. Hell if I know. I'm just pissed.

[ColesCountyDem]

21. Oh, OK. Me, too!

[shenmue]

9. No more Dumb

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. Several Alabama counties withholding gay marriage licenses despite federal order

This story went up at 11:34 a.m., and it was updated at 11:35 a.m.

Several Alabama counties witholding gay marriage licenses despite federal order

By Casey Toner | [e-mail]
on July 01, 2015 at 11:34 AM, updated July 01, 2015 at 11:35 AM

Yes, Alabama's probate judges have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a federal judge in Mobile clarified on Wednesday.

But at least four counties are holding out. Probate offices in Elmore County, Tuscaloosa County, and Escambia County are not issuing the same-sex marriage licenses. And, the Randolph County probate office is not issuing any marriage licenses.

Explaining their actions, these probate office officials cited Alabama Supreme Court Chief Roy Moore's controversial claim that no probate judge has to issue a same-sex marriage license for 25 days during a rehearing period for the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Additionally, the National Center for Lesbian Rights claims that Clay County, Marion County and Tallapoosa County are not issuing the licenses either, but probate officials in all three counties were unavailable for immediate comment.

In other news, the crowd in Roy Moore's office is getting even more unhinged, it that's possible. Here's what his employee Win Johnson did:

Roy Moore's lawyer to Gov. Bentley: 'Public officials are ministers of God'

By Charles J. Dean | [e-mail]
on June 30, 2015 at 2:49 PM, updated July 01, 2015 at 7:41 AM



Win Johnson

In harsh words and a lecturing tone, a lawyer who works for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has written a letter seemingly directed at Gov. Robert Bentley rebuking him for saying Alabama will obey the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring same-sex marriage legal.

While the letter from attorney Win Johnson never calls Bentley by name or title, a spokeswoman for Bentley said the letter was directed at the governor.

"Public official, what will you do? Will you stand up for the law of Alabama, for the people, for the weak and vulnerable, for the law of God? Or will you capitulate? Will you become complicit in the takeover by the wicked?" writes Johnson, director of the legal staff of the Administrative Office of Courts. The AOC operationally runs Alabama's court system which is headed by Moore.

Johnson said today the letter was not directed at Bentley but to all public officials.

'Minister of God' letter sparks call for the resignation of Alabama courts official

ETA, 3:21 p.m.:

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore reprimands staffer for 'minister of God' letter

By Charles J. Dean | [e-mail]
on July 01, 2015 at 1:08 PM, updated July 01, 2015 at 1:59 PM

A lawyer for the state judicial system headed by Chief Justice Roy Moore has been reprimanded by Moore for writing a letter seemingly aimed at Gov. Robert Bentley calling on him and state officials not to obey a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage.

The attorney, Win Johnson, also has apologized to Bentley for the letter:

"... Please convey my apologies to the governor for causing him to think it was directed toward him," writes Johnson in an email to David Byrne, Bentley's legal adviser.

Johnson sent the letter via email to Byrne last Friday in which he condemned the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage and called for the ruling to be disobeyed.

[FrodosPet]

23. Public officials are ministers of which congregation?

Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?

[kairos12]

13. Probably end up standing in the door of the court house

blocking access. Wait, haven't we seen this act before by George Wallace?

[wolfie001]

14. Maybe Judge Moore is following orders from voices he hears in his head......

......diagnosis: SCHIZOPHRENIA!!

[rocktivity]

15. It doesn't get more appropriate than this

rocktivity

[lark]

18. Judge Roy is having a very bad summer,

as the asshole totally deserves. If he'd pull his head out of his ass, his view would greatly improve.

[Marthe48]

22. Watching All In

The clerks and judges who are 'defying' the law, by refusing to issue marriage licenses, need to retire now. They are indulging their own feelings and that is wrong.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

24. Alabama judges must issue gay marriage licenses if they issue straight marriage licenses, court rule

Alabama judges must issue gay marriage licenses if they issue straight marriage licenses, court rules

By The Associated Press
on July 02, 2015 at 9:35 AM

With a handful of Alabama counties still refusing to grant gay marriages even as they issued licenses for straight weddings, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that all must abide by court decisions allowing same-sex unions.

Opposition withered as some counties complied with the decision, and gay marriage advocates said they would ask courts to impose penalties on the holdouts that refuse.

U.S. District Judge Callie Granade of Mobile issued a brief order saying state probate judges can't discriminate against gay couples since the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled gay marriage is legal everywhere.

Also Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans instructed judges in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to wrap up gay marriage cases in their states in line with last week's ruling.