Same old same old
by digby
Oh please:
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore late Sunday ordered all probate judges and employees in Alabama to follow existing state law and not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples or recognize same-sex marriages.
Couples across the state are preparing to wed Monday morning, when a stay on same-sex marriages is set to be lifted.
On Jan. 23, U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. “Ginny” Granade ruled the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and recognition of same-sex marriages entered in other states was unconstitutional. She issued a stay, putting her ruling on hold until Feb. 9.
Since then, Moore has asserted several times probate judges who issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples would be doing so in defiance of state law.
In his order issued Sunday night, Moore wrote that if any probate judge defies the order, Governor Robert Bentley would have the responsibility of ensuring that state law is “faithfully executed.”
He has also said that the judges are not bound by the orders issued in that case, Searcy v. Strange. Instead, he said, probate judges fall under the direct supervision and authority of the chief justice.
This happened too. And it took violence to change it. But it changed:
Update: The Supremes rejected a last minute request for a stay. It looks like some of these judges are defying Roy Moore and these marriages are happening anyway. White racist authority just isn’t what it used to be:
After marrying a gay couple in Birmingham, a judge asked for a picture with them. pic.twitter.com/QESkBxxvyC
— Alan Blinder (@alanblinder) February 9, 2015