A federal judge in Kentucky on Thursday ordered a clerk jailed for contempt of court because of her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, reports the New York Times. The clerk, Kim Davis of Rowan County, was ordered incarcerated after a hearing before Judge David L. Bunning of Federal District Court. The contempt finding was another legal defeat for Davis, who has argued that she should not be forced to issue licenses that conflict with her religious beliefs.
“The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order,” Judge Bunning said. “If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that's what potentially causes problems.” Bunning said Davis would be released once she agreed to comply with his order and issue the marriage licenses.