MONTGOMERY— Tuesday, Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis ignored a federal court order by denying same-sex couples the opportunity to obtain a certificate of marriage. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade again refused to issue a stay in her ruling which struck down Alabama’s discriminatory constitutional amendment, banning same-sex couples from marrying. Earlier this year, Judge Granade ruled in favor of equality in Searcy v. Strange, opening the door to marriage equality across the state.
“Judge Granade has made it clear once again that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry the person they love,” said HRC Alabama State Director R. Ashley Jackson. “Anti-LGBT activists have led a crusade to create unnecessary chaos, and time after time, the federal court has instructed probate judges to follow the law. It is time for the confusion to end and acknowledge the dignity and worth of LGBT Alabamians.”
Since the January ruling by Judge Granade, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has campaigned vocally against marriage equality. Last month, HRC Alabama submitted 28,000 petitions to the Judicial Inquiry Commission, urging a full ethics investigation of the Chief Justice.
What is his federal risk, here?