Texas AG Faces Contempt Hearing Over Failure To Recognize Gay Marriage

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton and another official to a contempt hearing over the state's refusal to recognize same-sex marriages following the June Supreme Court ruling, according to Dallas television station WFAA.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia issued the order in response to a legal action filed by Texas resident John Stone-Hoskins, who asked the court to hold Paxton in contempt after the state would not amend his spouse's death certificate to reflect that the two were married, according to the Houston Chronicle.

According to Cole, when he asked the state to amend his spouse's death certificate, the state cashed his check but refused to complete the paperwork. A Department of State Health Services official wrote, "Until the ruling is fully reviewed, we will not be able to know the impact, if any, on the process to file or amend death certificates. We will keep your documentation in a pending file and will advise you once a determination is made," according to the Chronicle.

Garcia also ordered Kirk Cole, the state's interim director at the Department of State Health Services, to issued an amended death certificate for Stone-Hoskin's spouse, James Stone-Hoskins, according to the Chronicle.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ken-paxton-contempt-gay-marriage

[allan01]

1. oh deary me

[TexasProgresive]

2. Well if we can't see bUSH, rove, perry and the bug man do the perp walk

at least we're getting some solace from Paxton.

[Gothmog]

3. Paxton is a crook and a bad lawyer

[irisblue]

4. sounds a lot like the Obergefell portion of the ruling

From WFAAs' website......
What's so stunning about this lawsuit filed Wednesday morning is that within hours of announcing it, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled almost immediately.

"To have it happen so quickly... to have relief granted so quickly... it just confirmed the injustice of the position the state had taken," Lane said. ( Lane is John Stone Hoskins lawyer)
....
A federal judge ordered the state to immediately issue a corrected death certificate which shows James and John as married.


screw the haters. Marriage equality matters, and I suspect this will be an issue over the coming next few years in red states.

[irisblue]

5. more info

http://www.queerty.com/texas-antigay-attorney-general-finally-getting-what-he-deserves-20150806
From Queerty, todays date

Last year, James Stone-Hoskins and John Allen Stone-Hoskins were legally married in New Mexico. In January, James died of terminal illness. Since then, John, also terminally ill, has been embroiled in a tedious legal battle with the state of Texas to have the death certificate changed.

. “I have a terminal liver disease, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, breast disease, a heart defect, in addition to a defective aorta, which was not discovered until recently,” John said today in court documents. “My doctors expect me to live another 45 to 60 days.”

“I also wish to have the dignity of being listed on my deceased husband’s death certificate,” he added.

After John filed a lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered Texas to make the appropriate change to his late husband’s death certificate, and also demanded that Attorney General Ken Paxton and the State’s interim commissioner of the Department of State Health Services, Ken Cole, appear before him next week to face possible contempt of court charges.





You know, being listed on his husband death certificate shouldn't be that hard.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. "... the state cashed his check...."

First things first.

In God we trust; all others pay cash.