Kim Davis, the former Rowan County clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licences, has been ordered to pay an additional USD $360,000 in damages and legal fees on top of a $100,000 ruling.
Davis was ordered to pay $246,026 in attorney fees and $14,058 in expenses following her refusal in 2015 to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, including plaintiffs David Ermold and David Moore.
Despite the Supreme Court’s legalisation of same-sex marriage across the US, Davis declined to issue licenses, citing her Christian beliefs and “God’s definition of marriage.”
US District Judge David Bunning, who presided over the case, rejected the argument from Davis’ legal team that the fees sought by Ermold and Moore’s attorneys were excessive. Bunning’s decision underscored that Davis must bear these costs as the couple succeeded in their lawsuit, as reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Michael Garland, representing Ermold and Moore, expressed his client’s satisfaction with the September ruling, which initially awarded them $50,000 each. Davis, who garnered global media attention for her actions and subsequent brief jail time in 2015, has seen a series of setbacks, including losing her re-election bid for county clerk in 2018. In March 2022, Judge Bunning stated in a memorandum that Davis had indeed violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to marry, further solidifying the case against her.
