Kim Davis Accused of Violating Judge's Order

Deputy clerk says changes Davis made to licenses may invalidate them
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 19, 2015 10:23 AM CDT
Kim Davis Accused of Violating Judge's Order
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis announces Monday that marriage licenses will be issued but will not have her name or office listed. Those changes may make the licenses invalid, her deputy clerk claims.   (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

One of Kim Davis' deputy clerks filed a notice in court yesterday claiming the sweeping changes Davis made to marriage license forms upon her return to work this week may make them invalid, NBC News reports. If that turns out to be the case, it could violate a judge's orders and she she may face sanctions, according to WFPL. NBC reports Davis removed the following items from the forms upon her release from jail: her name, mentions of Rowan County, any reference to deputy clerks, and the space for clerks' signatures. Forms issued by deputy clerk Brian Mason, whose lawyer filed the notice, now have his name but not his title or signature. According to WFPL, Davis' name has been replaced with “Pursuant to Federal Court Order #15-CV-44 DLB."

Mason's lawyer says these changes appear to violate Kentucky's laws for marriage license forms and could raise "substantial questions about validity," NBC reports. The couples who originally sued Davis for not issuing marriage licenses also filed a similar notice yesterday, according to CBS News. But WFPL reports Kentucky's governor and attorney general publicly announced the licenses are valid this week. Davis' lawyers agreed the licenses are valid and say their client hasn't done anything wrong. That's a complete 180 from statements earlier this month in which they claimed all licenses without Davis' approval were invalid. Upon her release from jail, Davis herself said they would be "unauthorized." (More Kim Davis stories.)

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