WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to overturn its historic decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The court rejected an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Davis had been seeking to challenge a lower-court order requiring her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple who were denied a marriage license.

Her attorneys cited Justice Clarence Thomas, the lone dissenter in 2015, who has called for the reversal of the same-sex marriage ruling.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, the other dissenters from 2015, are still on the court but have not publicly advocated for overturning the decision.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was not part of the court in 2015, has suggested that while the court should correct mistakes and overturn decisions, same-sex marriage may be different due to the reliance people have placed on the ruling.


WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 26: Same-sex marriage supporter Vin Testa, of Washington, DC, waves a LGBTQIA pride flag in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building as he makes pictures with his friend Donte Gonzalez to celebrate the anniversary of the United States v. Windsor and the Obergefell v. Hodges decisions on June 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. Today marks the 8th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case that guaranteed the right to marriage for same-sex couples. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Davis gained national attention when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her religious beliefs. She was eventually jailed for contempt of court and later released after her staff issued the licenses without her name on them.

She lost a reelection bid in 2018 after the controversy.

For more news on the U.S. Supreme Court, visit https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.