N.M. County clerk defies court order to issue marriage licenses to gay couples

N.M. County clerk defies court order to issue marriage licenses to gay couples

Associated Press

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

 

SANTA FE, N.M. — The Los Alamos County clerk says she won’t issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and will go to court to defend her decision.

Sharon Stover

Clerk Sharon Stover made the announcement Tuesday in response to a judge’s ruling last week that she issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples or appear in court to explain why that shouldn’t happen. Stover said in a statement that New Mexico’s marriage laws haven’t been changed since the 1960s, and the law includes a marriage license application with sections for male and female applicants.
Stover plans to appear in district court on Wednesday. She said the state Supreme Court needs to resolve lingering legal questions over whether gay marriage is legal statewide.
Six counties in the past two weeks have started granting licenses to same-sex couples.