![April Miller and Karen Roberts](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/01/lib15-millervdavis-1160x864.jpg)
Miller v. Davis
What's at Stake
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic marriage equality ruling in 2015, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue any marriage licenses because of her personal, religious opposition to marriage for same-sex couples. The ACLU and the ACLU of Kentucky won a preliminary injunction on behalf of Rowan County couples enabling them to marry.
Summary
On June 27, 2015—one day after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling extending the freedom to marry to all couples—Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis announced that her office would no longer issue marriage licenses to any couple. Rather than issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Davis barred all qualified applicants from obtaining licenses to marry in Rowan County.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Kentucky sued on behalf of four couples, two different-sex couples and two same-sex couples. On August 12, 2015, U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning issued a preliminary injunction ordering Davis’s office to resume issuing marriage licenses. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court denied Davis’s requests to stay Judge Bunning’s order, effectively requiring her to resume issuing marriage licenses immediately.
When Davis refused to comply with the court order, Judge Bunning held her in contempt of court and sent her to jail. Davis was released from custody several days later.
In 2017, Judge Bunning ordered the Commonwealth of Kentucky to pay the couples’ attorney’s fees and costs totaling more than $200,000. Both the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Rowan County have appealed, arguing that they should not be liable for attorney’s fees and costs in the case. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral argument on attorney’s fees on January 31, 2019.
Legal Documents
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08/23/2019
Opinion -
05/14/2018
Reply Brief of Kim Davis -
05/14/2018
Reply Brief of Commonwealth of Kentucky -
05/01/2018
Opposition Brief of Kim Davis -
04/30/2018
Opposition Brief of Commonwealth of Kentucky -
04/30/2018
Opposition Brief of Rowan County -
04/30/2018
Opposition Brief of Plaintiffs -
03/20/2018
Opening Brief of Kim Davis -
03/19/2018
Opening Brief of Commonwealth of Kentucky
Date Filed: 08/23/2019
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 05/14/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 05/14/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 05/01/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 04/30/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 04/30/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 04/30/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 03/20/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 03/19/2018
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download Document-
07/13/2016
Miller v. Davis - Sixth Circuit Order -
06/21/2016
Miller v. Davis - Appellant Motion to Dismiss -
01/18/2016
Miller v. Davis - Appellant Kim Davis's Reply Brief at the Sixth Circuit -
12/16/2015
Miller v. Davis - Appellees' Brief at the Sixth Circuit -
11/02/2015
Miller v. Davis - Appellant Kim Davis's Opening Brief in the Sixth Circuit
Date Filed: 07/13/2016
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 06/21/2016
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 01/18/2016
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 12/16/2015
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 11/02/2015
Court: Appeals Court (6th Cir.)
Download Document-
07/21/2017
Miller v. Davis - Opinion and Order Granting Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs -
09/19/2016
Miller v. Davis - Motion for Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Costs -
08/18/2016
Miller v. Davis - Eastern District of Kentucky Order -
11/13/2015
Miller v. Davis - Gov. Beshear Motion to Enforce Response Brief -
09/21/2015
Miller v. Davis - Motion to Enforce -
09/09/2015
Miller v. Davis - Release Order -
09/01/2015
Miller v. Davis - Motion for Contempt Order -
09/01/2015
Miller v. Davis - Plaintiffs’ Motion Pursuant to Rule 62(c) to Clarify the Preliminary Injunction Pending Appeal -
09/01/2015
Miller v. Davis - Declaration -
09/01/2015
Miller v. Davis - Motion for Contempt
Date Filed: 07/21/2017
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/19/2016
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 08/18/2016
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 11/13/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/21/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/09/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/01/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/01/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/01/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentDate Filed: 09/01/2015
Court: District Court (E.D. Ky.)
Download DocumentPress Releases
Court Denies Kentucky County Clerk’s Request to Continue Refusing Marriage Licenses
Kentucky County Must Issue Marriage Licenses to All Couples, Court Rules
ACLU of Kentucky Comment on Hearing in Rowan County Marriage Refusals Case
ACLU of Kentucky Files Class Action Suit against Rowan County and its Clerk