Kentucky Judge Releases Kim Davis From Jail; Rapturous Supporters Praise Her Courage

A district judge ordered the release Tuesday of Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Kentucky clerk who had been jailed for refusing to comply with a court order to issue same-sex marriage licenses, on the condition that she not interfere with her deputy clerks performing those duties for her. Davis cited “God’s authority” in her act of defiance against federal courts — making her a flashpoint in the national debate over “religious liberty.” She counts among her supporters GOP presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee. “To me,” Davis said in a statement, “this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It is about marriage and God’s word. It is a matter of religious liberty.”