Former county clerk had disputed lawyers’ fees for Kentucky couple who won $100,000 damages

Kim Davis, the former county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses in Kentucky to same-sex couples, must pay a total of $260,104 in fees and expenses to attorneys who represented one couple, according to a federal judge’s ruling.

That is in addition to $100,000 in damages a jury said the former Rowan county clerk should pay the couple who sued.

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Davis drew international attention when she was briefly jailed in 2015 over her refusal despite the US supreme court’s legalization of same-sex marriage. She based her refusal on her belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

  • IamSparticles@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    I’m not sure I follow your point. Do you think people actually do nothing but sit in court for hours every day while a case goes through multiple appeals?

    • Buffalox@lemmy.world
      15·
      10 months ago

      Well for starters these people have had a huge bill hanging over their heads. Also the court case can determine how they must live their lives. Apart from that it puts a huge stress on people waiting in uncertainty of what will be decided, without really being able to do much about it.
      So although it may not take life quality away equally for all, there is absolutely a risk that it does to a very high degree. And as always with such things, it generally hits the little guy way harder than rich people.

      • IamSparticles@lemmy.zipEnglish
        2·
        10 months ago

        In many cases, your point would be valid. In this particular case, the ACLU sued on the plaintiffs’ behalf, and would cover the legal bills if the courts hadn’t ordered Kim Davis to pay.

    • Empricorn@feddit.nlEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      “Those wronged have to wait 1/5 the average human lifespan for justice.”

      There. I can summarize it for you, but I can’t understand it for you.

      • IamSparticles@lemmy.zipEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        That’s not true, though. The wronged parties already got what they wanted. They were issued their marriage license while she was in prison. The ACLU’s purpose in suing Davis for damages and legal fees is to make sure that the precedent is clearly established and other officials will be dissuaded from pulling similar stunts in the future. Worst case scenario at this point is that the ACLU is on the hook for the legal fees.