You probably thought you’d seen the last of her. No such luck. The ACLU isn’t done with Kim Davis yet.
The latest plot twist in Kim’s sordid tale is a filing by the ACLU, requesting over a quarter million dollars in recouped legal fees. They spent a ton of money defending the right of same-sex couples to marry, and now the law entitles them to recover those expenses.
Civil rights cases are special in that the winner can recoup what they spent from the loser. It’s a measure intended to discourage rights violations by government officials.
Kim would not personally be on the hook for the payout — it’s unclear who would be, but it’s likely to be the county that she works for. Maybe something for voters to keep in mind next time they go to the polls. Put a homophobic person who violates the law in office, and you could be on the hook for all the pointless litigation they cause.
There’s a lot of procedural legal back-and-forth that will need to follow this filing. Questions of who has to pay and who doesn’t depend on the way in which the case was dismissed, and the parties’ changing relationships with each other. It’ll likely be many months before we get a ruling, and even longer before the ACLU gets any money — if any.
Ultimately, of course, the law was changed in Kentucky and Kim Davis could no longer make a fuss about being forced to violate whatever conscience she has. At that point, she was no longer useful to the right-wing politicians who were using her to support their own careers, and she’s been largely ignored — as she should be. Would it be funny if her lasting impact was a big payout to the ACLU.
jdboston617
Although I fully support the ACLU’s work and support on this case, and I’m most grateful for their work. I feel this claim will only further damage the LGBT equality cause, and in fact, if money is a true concern, will actually cost the ACLU and their donors more money. Additionally, they are re-hatching this story and potentially giving her and her supporters a bigger platform. The law was changed, and we won. Is this a time to leave well enough alone? I’m inclined to feel that way, but I’m curious what other people think. Perhaps I’m missing something.
Rimminit
Frivolous claims resulting in $100K’s of legal fees should not be ignored. Davis and her right wing, homophobic supportors need to be sent a message that you don’t break the law and violate couples constititional rights without retribution.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
Good.
jdboston617
@Rimminit: I understand that. But the state will likely foot the bill. Even if this woman were held responsible, which is unlikely, her supporters will come to her aid and lots of money will go to the wrong causes just like the wedding cake clowns.
He BGB
If it were a blue state that was gay friendly and did alot for the LGBT community, I would say probably not sue, but since it’s a state that is not, go for it.
Bad Ass Biker
@jdboston617: Sorry, but I can not agree with you. The state allowed this fucking bigot to get away with her silly beliefs and now they should pay up. If KY can afford to pay a county clerk $80,000 a year, they can certainly pay this. Hopefully it will be a lesson to others not to try this shit. She had a choice; do her job or quit.
jdboston617
@Bad Ass Biker: That’s cool. I completely understand your point. However, experience has shown me that this will not curb the zealots. Sadly, it reinforces them, martyrs them. That is my concern. I just want this nut job to disappear from the public eye. But… perhaps I’m wrong.
Ukin Blome
@jdboston617: What planet are you living on? I would like to live There too. The atmosphere must be 90% laughing gas. As for what you are missing, I wish I was missing it to. Life would be so much easier.
Ukin Blome
Dollars and Sense. Bigots will spend their bigot bucks on bigot projects. Bigots have to work for their bigot bucks just like everyone else works for their money. Bigots, like the rest of us only have so many bigot bucks before they run out of money. If Kimmy Davises is forced to pay the ACLU for her bigotry, the money will be paid. If her county government has to pay for it, well then the people of that county should reconsider their votes and vote better. If the country’s bigots rush in all their bigot bucks to pay for her actions then there will be fewer bigot bucks for other bigot causes. let them spend their bigot bucks on cakes for christ. That will be fewer bigot bucks for them to spend elsewhere.
sfbeast
Didn’t know about this law, but sounds good to me. And reminded me to renew my annual membership in the ACLU.
viciouslies
@jdboston617: I worked at the ACLU’s LGBT project for a time and one of the most effective tools they had for kids at schools being homophobic or transphobic was a stock letter saying “here is a long list of school districts that have paid a shit-ton of money after we sued them and won, oh and have we mentioned we’ve never lost a schools case?” It got 98% of shitty schools to reverse course without them ever having to do anything else.
I think the same principle applies here. If they cost the county money, other counties will think twice before pulling this BS again.
DCguy
Let the bigots waste their money defending her, that means less money to donate to anti-lgbt politicians and for eating at Chick-fil-A.
As for Davis, she wanted to ruin the lives of others, we’ll she’s reaping what she sowed.
And whatever happened to that gay friend she claimed she had?
dvlaries
Maybe I won’t hold my breath waiting for her buddy Pope Frankie to come to her rescue either.
peacefulruffneck
There really is a God! Karma like you Kim can be a real bitch!
blackled
“Maybe something for voters to keep in mind next time they go to the polls. Put a homophobic person who violates the law in office, and you could be on the hook for all the pointless litigation they cause.”
I’m disappointed with this part of the article, and with multiple comments stating the county should be on the hook for Davis’s behavior. I live in Rowan County. I and many of us in the county (including the vast majority of us who work at the university here) were appalled by Kim Davis’s behavior. So was our District Attorney, who was advised by his superiors early on to basically tell Davis she was on her own–the county was not going to defend her unilateral actions in any way, financially or otherwise. No one knew in advance of her getting elected that the Supreme Court was going to legalize same sex marriage, and no one knew she was going to do what she did. And in Kentucky, elected county clerks cannot be recalled. Rowan, like all counties in Eastern Kentucky, is in relatively poor financial condition. It would likely need to cut services to pay for Davis’s jackass behavior, and people in need would suffer (and some unknown portion of these people would be people who support same sex marriage, by the way). Sue the hell out of Davis–take everything she has. Leave county funds alone. I’m a big supporter of the ACLU, but I’m hoping they find a way to do it this way. A county should not be held responsible for a rogue government employee who violated state and federal law, and whom county officials had no way of removing from office.
1EqualityUSA
attach her wages, as wage garnishment can compensate the ACLU. Make sure she pays for every dime owed. She’ll have to split her chic fil-A with her fourth husband.
highestbidder
@jdboston617: I agree with you