In The World of the Odd
Apparently because the native coral snake, a colorful and deadly member of the Elapidae family, isn’t impressive enough, we have a King cobra kept as pet escapes from Florida home. Understand that this was totally legal with a state license.
People who support marijuana legalization don’t like the referendum in Ohio. It turns out that ten investor groups are financing the referendum that limits the number of sites where the legal marijuana can be grown to the ten sites that the investors own.
Kentucky clerk jailed for defying court orders on gay marriage
A US judge has ordered a Kentucky official jailed for contempt of court after she has repeatedly refused to issue marriage licences to gay couples.
Kim Davis has said that her Christian faith should exempt her from signing the licenses.
The US Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal in June.
…US District Judge David Bunning said he had “no alternative” but to jail her, because issuing fines would not change her mind.
“Her good faith belief is simply not a viable defence,” said Mr Bunning. “Mrs Davis took an oath. Oaths mean things.”
It should be noted that Ms Davis essentially “inherited” her position from her mother, and she is so enamored of marriage that she has had four of them.
4 comments
On my blog I’ve copied this wonderful to-the-point quote by Rachel Held Evans: No one’s being jailed for practicing her religion. Someone’s being jailed for using the government to force others to practice her religion.
And please be careful with snakes. I’d be super freaked about now… better yet, hire a mongoose…..
Ten things you don’t say to a judge:
1. F*** you!
2. You’re not the boss of me!
4. What, you’re going to send me to bed without supper?
5. It’s not my fault, it was just really bad drugs I was doing earlier!
6. My dog told me to do it.
7. You’re pretty high and mighty for a man who wears a dress.
8. How much money do you want to find me not guilty?
9. Jesus made me do it!
And #10, guaranteed to get you a free night in jail on contempt of court charges:
10. You can’t judge me! Only God can judge me!
Kim Davis basically stated #9 and #10 straight to the judge’s face. Thing is, in a Federal courtroom there is only one god, and He is addressed as “Your Honor”.
And now her lawyers are behaving unethically in a manner that clearly violates the ABA sample code of conduct by explicitly encouraging her illegal acts. It is at best an ethics breach worthy of a stiff note in the bar’s professional conduct file for the lawyer, see Rule 1.2(d) of the ABA model rules of professional conduct. At worst it is professional malpractice that could get them disbarred depending on the rules and laws in the state of Kentucky. It is *not* a lawyer’s job to make sure his client stays in jail. It’s a lawyer’s job to get his client *out* of jail. But these lawyers from the Liberty Counsel are doing their best to make sure their client *stays* in jail. Which is a violation of every code of ethics that covers the legal profession.
Ellroon, while the coral snake and the king cobra are second only to the black mamba in the potency of their venom they aren’t aggressive and will leave if at all possible. I have interacted with coral snakes while digging or raking as they like to burrow, but they aren’t very fast and want to burrow out of sight. The king cobra is the same, which is why they haven’t found it yet. Almost every incident of bites by these snakes is by people who keep them e.g. – snake charmers, zoo personnel.
Badtux, I’ll be doing a bit of an update, but having been part of the justice system for a decade you are dead on when it comes to judges. Contempt of court is anything that annoys the judge and the jail time is until the judge feels you have atoned for your sin. In most states there is no maximum sentence. If those attorneys express those opinions to the judge in court they will join Ms Davis in jail for contempt.