Supreme Court Declines to Hear Kim Davis's Appeal on Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Davis had sought to overturn a lower court ruling that held her personally liable for $360,000 in damages and attorney's fees to a couple she denied a marriage license. She argued that her actions were protected by her religious beliefs under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court rejected her petition without comment.

In 2015, Davis was briefly jailed for contempt of court after defying orders to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She lost her re-election bid in 2018. The Supreme Court's decision to decline her appeal leaves the Obergefell ruling intact, maintaining the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage.