Kentucky must pay $225,000 legal bill from Kim Davis case, appeals court says

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (Kentucky.com)

Kentucky must pay $225,000 legal bill from Kim Davis case, appeals court says

BY JOHN CHEVES
AUGUST 23, 2019 02:30 PM, UPDATED 33 MINUTES AGO

The state of Kentucky must pay nearly $225,000 in legal fees and court costs incurred by couples who sued then-Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in 2015 because she refused to issue marriage licenses due to her religious opposition to same-sex marriage, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a federal district judge who earlier ordered the state to pick up the tab. It ruled that the couples were the prevailing parties in their lawsuit against Davis and that Kentucky’s state government regulates the administration of marriage licenses and therefore was responsible for her conduct.

“They prevailed against her in her capacity as a state official, not a county one,” U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Allen Griffin wrote for a three-judge panel. “Because Davis acted on Kentucky’s behalf when issuing and refusing to issue marriage licenses, the district court correctly imposed liability for the award on the commonwealth.”
....

Davis’ attorneys at Liberty Counsel noted that the former clerk herself was not held responsible for the court costs and fees in the Miller case.

In a separate appeal involving court costs and legal fees claimed by another couple, David Ermold and David Moore, the 6th Circuit on Friday agreed with the district judge that Davis held sovereign immunity as a public official but not qualified immunity as an individual. Unlike the Miller case, the Ermold case is still in its early stages, and no actual money has been awarded yet. ... “Regarding Kim Davis, this case is not over,” said Mat Staver, an attorney with Liberty Counsel.
....

Read more: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article234313792.html

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From Joe.My.God:

KENTUCKY: Federal Appeals Court Rules State Must Pay $224,000 In Fees Because Of Former Clerk Kim Davis

https://www.joemygod.com/2019/08/kentucky-federal-appeals-court-rules-state-must-pay-224000-in-fees-because-of-former-clerk-kim-davis/

Bevin administration's attempt to shirk fees in Kim Davis lawsuit rejected by appeals court

Billy Kobin, Louisville Courier Journal Published 1:23 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2019 Updated 2:31 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2019

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/08/23/appeals-court-kentucky-must-pay-legal-fees-rowan-county-clerk-kim-davis-same-sex-suit/2096411001/

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling Friday requiring Kentucky to pay $224,000 in legal fees related to former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis' refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Davis was successfully sued by several couples in 2015 for refusing to follow the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling establishing a right to same-sex marriage.

In 2017, a federal district judge held the couples suing Davis for marriage licenses clearly prevailed and that the state of Kentucky must pay their fees and costs.

But Gov. Matt Bevin's lawyers argued in January that Davis should foot the legal bill, not the state. Bevin had once called Davis "an inspiration ... to the children of America" and supported her as he ran for election.

On Friday, a three-judge panel for the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld the district judge's ruling that the state of Kentucky must pay the $224,000 in attorney fees and costs incurred by the same-sex couples.

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HerebyOrderedHat Retweeted

https://twitter.com/Popehat

Remember the Kim Davis case? Some prominent conservatives then seemed unwilling to accept the proposition that public officials are bound to follow the law. They should listen to the Sixth Circuit.

Link to tweet

[Bayard]

1. Excellent!

[Ingersollman]

2. Boom

Shakalaka. Boom! Take that! Right wing christo fascists.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Hope they can get her too.

[Initech]

4. Womp womp!!!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

5. Karma served with bourbon and BBQ.

Can no longer drink the bourbon but love the karma and BBQ.

Good user comment from JoeMyGod.com web site:

AtticusP

No problem. Kentucky will make all of that back from the profits from the Noah’s Ark museum.

Oh, wait...

KY..........

[MissMillie]

6. No problem

I'll drink your share.

[crazytown]

7. Forward to top floor, The Kremlin, c/o Mitch

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Kansas should have shit canned Davis on her first refusal.

It's their own fault they decided to throw in with her for Jeeeesus.

They should be happy that taxpayer money isn't going to feed underprivileged children or on education, so count your blessings Kansas.

[negoldie]

9. It's

Kentucky not Kansas. I live 20 miles away from the county where she no longer works as a clerk.

[JohnnyRingo]

11. Well, I got the first letter right.

That's better than I usually do.

Thanx for the correction.

[Archae]

10. The state shouldn't pay a dime for this.

Kim Davis and her "Christian" fascists should be ordered to pay all this.

Kim Davis is out of her office thanks to being voted out, but she still is making a lot of money giving speeches to "Christian" fascist groups crying about how she was "persecuted."