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March 02, 2004

NY Mayor Hauled into Court for Marrying Gays

By Byron LaMasters

Newsday reports:

Four days after presiding over a slew of same sex marriages in his quaint Hudson Valley village, the mayor of New Paltz today was charged with 19 violations of New York's domestic relations law, injecting the debate over gay marriages in the state with increasing drama and urgency.

Jason West, 26-year-old Green Party mayor, was ordered to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges that he broke state law by solomizing about two dozen weddings without a marriage license, according to New Paltz police and West's lawyer.

Chief Raymond Zappone said he and a lieutenant from the town police served a 19-count summons to West Tuesday afternoon and that the mayor faces up a $500 fine and a year in jail for his actions which have attracted international attention and brought the fight over gay marriages squarely into New York.

The actions come as West is planning to hold more ceremonies this weekend and with other officials around the state considering similar actions. It also coincides with increasing pressure on State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who last week refused a call by the governor to prevent and nullify the marriages, to step in and issue some clarifying words on the complex legal issues at play.


We'll see how this plays out. The San Francisco police are smart enought to know not to try and haul Gavin Newsome into court. It's a little bit different in upstate New York, though.

Posted by Byron LaMasters at March 2, 2004 04:34 PM | TrackBack


Comments

You beat me to this story Byron. :)

Posted by: Karl-T at March 2, 2004 05:59 PM

I believe Newsday meant "solemnizing" instead of "solomizing." Although if it had been Newsmax instead of Newsday, they may have had another word in mind!

Mayor West has now figuratively "been to jail for justice," or at least has the possibility of landing there. He will probably not be the last. The legitimate analogies with the civil rights movement for racial equality decades ago are clearer every day. This will not be easy, but it will be worth it. And from a political standpoint, I think it unlikely that all the discriminatory rhetoric will help Bush and other FMA advocates.

Good for Jason West; good for Gavin Newsome; good for all the other leaders who have the courage to stand up for everyone's rights. Soon enough, they may literally have the courage of their convictions.

Posted by: Steve Bates at March 2, 2004 10:35 PM

We should all be APPALLED at the strong arm tactics of bringing a criminal action to try to silence the debate of gay marriage. Opponents have every right to go to Court and file a CIVIL action to try to litigate this issue according to established procedure. To bring a CRIMINAL action is nothing less than state-sanctioned hooliganism.

Someone needs to organize a media drive to shine the light on the DA who brought the charges (I believe New Paltz is in Ulster County) and expose him for the thug he is.

Posted by: WhoMe? at March 2, 2004 10:54 PM
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