#KY #KYJudge #JudgeNance #KY43District Kentucky Judge Nance does the right thing in recusing himself

SPECIAL STATEMENT

CONTACT:
Dillan Marsh, Executive Director
Secretary General’s Office of Special Affairs
PH: (502) 219-2533

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"I wish every judge in the Commonwealth would have the moral decency and stateliness to recuse themselves with they are biased. As the judge cited a Kentucky ethical rule that says judges must disqualify themselves when they have a personal bias or prejudice." - Jordan Palmer, secretary-general

"In practice, however, Kentucky has too many biased judges sitting on the bench without the moral imperative to declare it and recuse themselves. In the past, this Federation has had commonwealth's attorneys' override district judges decisions not to prosecute, rule against LGBTI couples, and show complete contempt for LGBTI people because of their own prejudice. They remained on the bench without the required ability to separate personal beliefs or prejudice from the rule of law or have the dignity to recuse themselves."

NEWS LINK: http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Kentucky-judge-wont-hear-adoption-cases-if-adults-are-gay-420765123.html

Kentucky Equality Federation vows to sue if Senate Bill 180 becomes law

The Interim Membership Committee of the Kentucky Equality Federation voted to permit the president or secretary-general of the alliance to sue the Commonwealth of Kentucky if Senate Bill 180 is passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law by Governor Matt Bevin.

Senate Bill 180 would legally protect businesses that, refuse to service gay and lesbian couples because of the 'religious beliefs' of management/owner.

“This law is unconstitutional, just as it would have been more than fifty years ago when governments passed similar laws related to interracial couples, and 'white schools not permitting 'black students', the very notion of offensive. ” stated Secretary-General Jordan Palmer. “Having sued the Commonwealth for marriage equality in addition to forcing single religious views out of public schools, our legal department is more than ready.”

Palmer added: "This is absolutely ridiculous. What's next? Separate restrooms?"

The Kentucky Equality Federation alliance includes Marriage Equality Kentucky, Southeastern Kentucky Stop Hate Group, Western KY Community Education Project, Kentucky HIV Advocacy Campaign, and Kentucky Equal Ballot Access. The Federation funds alliance members and each receive a single vote for a unifying secretary-general.

#KY #KYGA14: Special Statement: Bourke v. Beshear and equality across the commonwealth

Richmond, KY - Kentucky Equality Federation welcomes the decision by Judge Heyburn. We believe strongly in equal rights and state sovereignty, and that both are not mutually exclusive.

"However, when a group of religious radicals defaced the Kentucky Constitution in 2004, making a document which guarantees freedom of conscience, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, their decision had broader ramifications than they expected. It is not acceptable to vandalize the Kentucky Constitution and violate the Commonwealth's own Bill of Rights, and then seek shelter behind the Federal Constitution's Tenth Amendment," stated Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer.

Kentucky Constitution, Section 2: "Absolute and arbitrary power over the lives, liberty and property of freemen exists nowhere in a republic, not even in the largest majority."

Kentucky Constitution, Section 26: "To guard against transgression of the high powers which we have delegated, We Declare that every thing in this Bill of Rights is excepted out of the general powers of government, and shall forever remain inviolate; and all laws contrary thereto, or contrary to this Constitution, shall be void."

Palmer continued:  "By these sections of the Kentucky Constitution's Bill of Rights, such a ban is unconstitutional. There is no special exception made for popularity of a measure, or whether absolute and arbitrary powers are granted by a later amendment. We stand with Kentucky and its own Constitution. While we wish the legislature had protected the constitutional rights of its own citizens without requiring a federal court's intervention, their inaction made this case inevitable. Free people will seek legal recourse from their oppressors, and they are to be commended when they do.

As president, I issue a warning to Kentuckians that this decision, while important, has a very narrow application. We expect that compliance with the decision will lag or be outright refused in some jurisdictions. Further, it still does not rectify, as it could not, the inability of LGBTI couples to marry within Kentucky, nor did it add a statewide LGBTI Civil Rights protection law."

Vice President K. Joshua Koch stated: "These issues must be addressed in the immediate future, or Kentucky will continue to be wracked by lawsuits. The legislators of Kentucky would do well to recognize that their inaction thus far has been rejected by concerned citizens, and further inaction will not be tolerated. The citizens of Kentucky are seeking equality by any means necessary. If our lawmakers in the Kentucky House and Senate are not up to the task of removing barriers of discrimination for certain citizens and taxpayers, those vulnerable members of society have a right to seek seek Judicial recourse or vote them out of office."

NOTICE: Some comments made by Vice President K. Joshua Koch have been moved by the President's Legal Department to our official blog. To read those comments, please click here.

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