Kentucky Court Clerk To Be Released From Jail In Row Over Gay Marriage

Ms Davis has been jailed for contempt of court since Thursday

A US judge has ordered that a Kentucky official be released from jail so long as she does not interfere with her deputies when they issue marriage licences to gay couples.

Kim Davis, an elected official, has said that her Christian faith should exempt her from signing the licences.

If she interferes with her deputies, federal Judge David Bunning said she could be jailed for defying the court.

The US Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal in June.

Two federal courts and the US Supreme Court have ruled against Ms Davis after she repeatedly refused to issue marriage licences since June.

Ms Davis, a Democrat who serves Rowan County, a rural area in eastern Kentucky, was found in contempt of court on Thursday and jailed.

 “God’s moral law conflicts with my job duties,” Ms Davis said on Thursday. “You can’t be separated from something that’s in your heart and in your soul.”

The following day, several of her deputies began issuing marriage licences to couples.

It is unclear whether the Judge Bunning’s latest order will resolve the dispute.

On Thursday, Judge Bunning offered a compromise where Ms Davis could avoid jail if she agreed not to interfere with her deputies, but she refused.

A large crowd of protesters gathered on Tuesday outside the jail where Ms Davis is being held. Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz had planned to visit Ms Davis in jail.

Because Ms Davis is an elected official, she cannot be fired. She could be impeached by the Kentucky legislature, but the body is not in session.