Joshua Horn: Davis unfairly jailed

Regarding the Sept. 3 editorial “Defiance with a familiar ring” reprinted from the Charlotte Observer: I find the recent arrest of Kim Davis for her refusal to issue licenses for same-sex marriages very concerning. It strikes a blow at the foundational principles of our republic.

Davis is County Clerk of Court – an elected office. She is accountable for her actions only to her constituents, who can choose not to re-elect her, and to the state legislature, which has the power to impeach her.

It is a gross usurpation of power for an unelected federal judge to imprison Davis and prevent her from executing her constitutional duties. She is being held in jail indefinitely for contempt of court, but she was sentenced to this by one judge, without the benefit of a jury trial.

Do we want to live in a nation where the officials we elect can be arrested and imprisoned at the whim of a judge, without even being convicted by a jury?

Davis’ arrest is another step in the redefinition of marriage. A time may not be far distant when Bible-believing Christians are effectively banned from public office because they refuse to authorize these marriages.

This story was originally published September 12, 2015 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Joshua Horn: Davis unfairly jailed."