Felicia Pitts Davis performed a ceremony for a heterosexual couple but bailed out on two women waiting to be married, sources say.

Summary

Syracuse City Court Judge Felicia Pitts Davis refused to officiate a same-sex wedding, citing religious beliefs.

Another judge, Mary Anne Doherty, performed the ceremony.

Pitts Davis’ actions, considered discriminatory under New York judicial ethics and the Marriage Equality Act, are under review by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct

    • SteveEnglish
      117·
      7 days ago

      There is no particular form or ceremony required except that the parties must state in the presence of an authorized public official or authorized member of the clergy and at least one other witness that each takes the other as his or her spouse.

      So it seems the judge doesn’t actually need to do anything more than be a witness. Then she could have done simply that, without saying anything. I wonder if she even new that.

      But that link says nothing about the required duties of judges. They are nearly in the list of approved people, able to perform marriages. Also strange it comes from the department of health.

        • SteveEnglish
          114·
          7 days ago

          That doesn’t mean she knows everything about the law. Any judge would be able to admit that. That’s why they have specialities like family court, or criminal court, copyrights, etc.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
            121·
            7 days ago

            Dude, you think you know more about the law than she does because you were a wedding photographer in New York before gay marriage was legal.

            I don’t even know what you think qualifies someone to be a judge but I’m glad it isn’t that.

            • SteveEnglish
              111·
              7 days ago

              I only repeated what was in the page you linked to.