Toledo Municipal Court Judge C. Allen McConnell refused to perform a gay marriage ceremony last week and the reactions to his decision raise questions of a double standard when it comes to obeying federal laws. Saying gay marriage conflicted with his personal and religious beliefs, he declined to officiate during his rotation as the duty judge. The duty judge is responsible for handling miscellaneous functions, such as marriages, and walk-in defendants whose cases are not already assigned to a judge. Another judge performed the ceremony. In a brief statement, McConnell apologized for the 45-minute delay the couple experienced and said he was seeking an advisory opinion which he will honor. McConnell’s refusal to perform a same-sex marriage earned him scorn from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which blasted the judge for refusing to comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. But some observers say the ACLU is applying a double-standard, since the organization has called for local officials to ignore other federal laws, like those regarding immigration. McConnell, a Democrat who is also a senior elder at his church, said he was exercising his religious freedom. “Public servants like Judge McConnell have an obligation to families who wish to marry in their courtrooms, regardless of gender or sexual orientation,” said Mike Brickner, ACLU of Ohio senior policy director, in a press release. “While we respect that judges have deeply held personal and religious beliefs, they should not interfere with the oath they took to uphold our Constitution.” Steve Silvi, founder of Ohio Jobs & Justice PAC, a non-partisan civil rights educational organization, thinks the ACLU is being contradictory by calling for a judge to abide by the Supreme Court ruling while simultaneously telling local officials to become a sanctuary city and ignore immigration laws. The ACLU is on the record opposing the arrest of individuals in the country illegally, especially when they show up at a court to handle such tasks as paying a traffic ticket or getting married. “What’s going on is that they want to outlaw opposition to gay marriage, to prohibit the public and businesses from expressing their opposition to it,” Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said. “The totalitarian instinct of the Left is on display by trying to force people to play into their gay marriage agenda.” Read more at Watchdog.org.
