Kim Davis was imprisoned for five days for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, which is against her deeply-held belief.
Kentucky governor says that Rowan County clerk Kim Davis’ altered marriage licenses will still be recognized as valid.
Gov. Steve Beshear wrote in a court filing that the new licenses do not meet the state’s legal requirement, but will still be recognized as “legally effective,” saying that he can only distribute the forms to the county clerks.
"While the altered licenses issued by the Rowan County clerk's office do not fully comply with the statute, such deviation does not necessarily render the licenses ineffective or the marriages solemnized pursuant to said licenses invalid," Beshear’s lawyer, Palmer Vance II, wrote in the filing.
Citing her religious beliefs, Davis refused to issue marriage licenses following June’s Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage across the country. Despite a federal judge’s orders to issue licenses, Davis continued to refused, landing herself in prison for five days.
During her absence, her office issued licenses on her behalf. However, when Davis returned, she replaced them with new ones that did not contain her name, signature, or name of the county.
