CASE NO. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

KIM DAVIS, Petitioner v. DAVID ERMOLD, DAVID MOORE, WILL SMITH, JAMES YATES, Respondents

 On Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI

Mathew D. Staver, (Counsel of Record)

 

Horatio G. Mihet Roger K. Gannam Kristina J. Wenberg L

IBERTY

C

OUNSEL

 P.O. Box 540774 Orlando, FL 32854 (407) 875-1776 court@LC.org

Counsel for Petitioner

 

i

QUESTIONS PRESENTED

The Questions Presented for this Court’s review are: 1.

 

Whether the Sixth Circuit erred when, citing

Obergefell v. Hodges

, it created a special standard for a same-sex couple’s claimed temporary burden on the constitutional right to marry, and thereby refused to apply this Court’s tiered “direct and substantial burden” analysis in

Zablocki v. Redhail

 regarding right-to-marry cases for different-sex couples. 2.

 

Whether the Sixth Circuit erred by refusing to follow this Court’s repeated instruction “not to define clearly established law at a high level of generality,”

 Ashcroft v. al-Kidd

, and thereby rejecting a county clerk’s qualified immunity claim for temporarily suspending all marriage licenses bearing her name and authority in only one of 120 Kentucky counties in the immediate aftermath of

Obergefell

, while Kentucky’s comprehensive marriage laws and forms that govern every duty of the clerk were being re-written, and while seeking a successful accommodation for her sincerely held religious beliefs.

 

ii

PARTIES

Petitioner is Kim Davis, in her individual capacity. Respondents are David Ermold, David Moore, Will Smith, and James Yates.

CORPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Petitioner, Kim Davis, is an individual person. Thus, Davis has no parent corporation or publicly held stock owner.

DIRECTLY RELATED PROCEEDINGS

 David

Ermold

 ; David Moore, Plaintiffs–Appellees

(17-6119)

, Plaintiffs–Appellees/Cross-Appellants

(17-6119 & 17-6233)

 v. Kim

 Davis

, individually,  Defendant–Appellant

(17-6119)

, Elwood Caudill, Jr., Clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky,  Defendant–Appellant/Cross-Appellee

(17-6119 & 17-6233) [and]

Will

Smith

 ; James Yates,  Plaintiffs–Appellees

(17-6120)

, Plaintiffs–  Appellees/Cross-Appellants

(17-6120 & 17-6226)

 v. Kim

 Davis

, individually, Defendant–  Appellant

(17-6120)

, Elwood Caudill, Jr., Clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky, Defendant–  Appellant/Cross-Appellee

(17-6120 & 17-6226)

, Rowan County, Kentucky, Defendant–Appellee

(17-6226), Nos. 17-6119/6120/6226/6233 (6th Cir. Judgment Aug. 23, 2019) (consolidating appeals from

Ermold

 

and

Smith

 E.D. Ky. cases for opinion and judgment)