A federal judge in Alabama has ruled on three gay couples' request that she force a probate judge to issue marriage licenses in Mobile County.
U.S. District Judge Callie Granade has ordered Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis to begin issuing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses.
Granade held the hearing amid confusion across the state, as many probate judges refused to issue the licenses after state Chief Justice Roy Moore said they didn't have to.
Susan Watson is the Executive Director of the Alabama ACLU. She says while Judge Grenade’s ruling only applies to Mobile County she says other Probate judges will take notice.
“I think probate judges across the state of Alabama will read the writing on the wall and start to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, actually in their best interest so they do not subject themselves to lawsuits.”
At least 22 of Alabama's 67 counties have been issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.
The Alabama Supreme Court has blocked an execution set for next month.
The state’s nine justices issued an order Wednesday staying the execution of William Ernest Kuenzel.
Kuenzel was set for a lethal injection on March 19 in the killing of a Talladega County woman. Linda Offord was shot to death while working as a convenience store clerk in Sylacauga in 1987.
A judge sentenced Kuenzel to death, but the man has maintained his innocence all along. Critics claim the prosecution failed to turn over evidence to the defense that could have helped Kunzel’s case.
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals was scheduled to hear his case during oral arguments scheduled about three weeks after the planned execution. But Kuenzel’s attorneys argued it would be unconstitutional to execute him before the arguments could be held.
The Supreme Court says the execution is blocked until it issues further orders.
The execution of another Alabama death row inmate has been cleared by a federal appeals court.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay of execution yesterday for inmate Tommy Arthur. The court says Alabama can proceed with Arthur's execution next Thursday, February 19.
Arthur still contends that Alabama's lethal injection procedure is unconstitutional. His defense argues that Alabama is using the same chemicals that have led to botched executions and painful complications in other states.
Arthur has been on death row in Alabama since 1983 for the murder for hire of a Muscle Shoals businessman. The federal appellate court says Arthur can file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but that his attorneys need to do so quickly.
Future Quentin Tarentinoes and Stephen Speilbergs will get to learn about the film industry starting today.
This year’s Black Warrior Film Festival in Tuscaloosa will feature lectures from three award-winning film makers. The event will also include screenings of the movie Foxcatcher and the documentary The Great Invisible.
Last year’s festival featured Ava DuVernay, who directed the movie Selma. Festival spokesman Conner Fox says her visit led to a big opportunity for budding film makers.
“As a result of her visiting campus and engaging with UA students and especially those in the telecommunication film department, she was able to include several UA students on her project, so a lot of them worked on the film with her.”
All events are free and will take place at the University of Alabama’s campus and downtown Tuscaloosa.