The Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis is out of jail but “needs time to rest” and will return to work on Monday.
David Bunning, a federal judge in Ashland, Ky., ordered Davis’ release after he became convinced the deputy clerks in her Rowan County office had obeyed his order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Davis is currently at her home in Rowen County where Staver said she is enjoying time with her family. Davis has also been going through the hundreds and hundreds of letters sent to her at the jail.
“I am deeply moved by all those who prayed for me. All I can say is that I am amazed and very grateful,” said Davis. “I have also been spending time reading boxes of letters expressing support and prayers from people around the country.”
Matt Staver, Liberty Counsel attorney representing Davis, told reporters that she has not abandoned her conscience.
“We are pleased that Kim Davis has been ordered released,” he said in a statement. “She can never recover the past six days of her life spent in an isolated jail cell like a common criminal because of her conscience and religious convictions.”
Judge Banning ordered Davis not to interfere in any way with her deputy clerks issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Staver has not confirmed whether Davis would obey Bunning’s order.
The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in June heightened concerns among religious liberty promoters regarding the threat legalized gay marriage poses to Christian individuals and institutions, as well as other defenders of biblical, traditional marriage.
The opinion prompted some country clerks to resign their jobs rather than issue licenses to gay couples, while others have held onto their jobs while refusing to provide licenses. In the private sector, some businesses were closed even before the Supreme Court ruling as a result of the owners’ refusal to compromise their belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Wedding vendors — including florists, photographers and bakers — have been especially vulnerable in states where gay marriage was already legal.
Davis, a Democrat, has been described in news reports as an Apostolic Christian. She actively participates in her church and leads a weekly Bible study at a local jail, according to a legal document filed with the federal court.
— CNJ staff and a BP report