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Man Arrested After Same-Sex Marriage License Rejected; Man Raised Tirade After Request Denied
AP ^ | 5.17.04

Posted on 05/17/2004 4:33:22 PM PDT by ambrose

Man Arrested After Same-Sex Marriage License Rejected Clerk: Man Raised Tirade After Request Denied

POSTED: 7:34 am EST May 17, 2004

UPDATED: 7:35 am EST May 17, 2004

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- A man faces disorderly conduct charges for allegedly screaming at the Vanderburgh County Clerk after she told him he could not apply for a same-sex marriage license in Indiana.

John Anthony Dunham, 26, of Evansville was arrested Thursday after launching into a tirade after Clerk Marsha Abell told him same-sex marriages are illegal in Indiana.

"I knew he was here to cause trouble," Abell said, describing Dunham as "angry when he first came back here."

She said Dunham came alone, but that two people must apply for a marriage license.

Abell said that before Dunham began screaming at her in the Court Building he stated that he had a constitutional right to apply for a same-sex marriage license.

Officers responded when a panic alarm was sounded from the clerk's office.

Sheriff's Deputy Kelly Williams said he was approaching the second-floor clerk's office as Dunham emerged from it, apparently just after Abell ordered him to leave.

"He was yelling something to the effect that it was unfair he'd be denied a same-sex marriage license, because he had a right to one," Williams said.

The officer escorted Dunham downstairs so deputies could "try to calm him down." But Williams said Dunham continued to yell in the officers' presence, at one point producing a tape recorder and speaking the names of the officers into it.

Williams said court security supervisor Sgt. James Martin ordered Dunham arrested when he continued to refuse to calm down.

Dunham was released from jail on bond Thursday evening. There was no telephone listing in Evansville for Dunham.

On Monday, same-sex unions become legal in Massachusetts following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to block the nation's first state-sanctioned gay marriages.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: dontdothis; dramaqueen; hissyfit; homosexualagenda; marriage; pissyqueen; slapfight
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1 posted on 05/17/2004 4:33:22 PM PDT by ambrose
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To: ambrose

All he has to do is go to Mass, get married there, then come back to Indiana where they will have to recognize the marriage.


2 posted on 05/17/2004 4:34:46 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: CWOJackson

No they don't.


3 posted on 05/17/2004 4:36:21 PM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: ambrose

Pitching a fit in a courthouse. The guy should get 30 days for stupidity.


4 posted on 05/17/2004 4:38:39 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: CWOJackson
All he has to do is go to Mass, get married there, then come back to Indiana where they will have to recognize the marriage.

I dont think thats true..

5 posted on 05/17/2004 4:38:40 PM PDT by cardinal4 (Terrence Maculiffe-Ariolimax columbianus (hint- its a gastropod.....)
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To: blackie
Interestingly enough, there is a common use clause in the Constitution that requires all states to recognize some common licenses between states (marriage, death, birth, etc.).

Indiana won't really have much of a choice.

6 posted on 05/17/2004 4:39:11 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: blackie
Indiana is only obligated to recognize that gay marriages which are performed in Massachusetts are lawful in Massachusetts.

Indiana law applies in the state of Indiana and Indiana law recognizes marriage as estate between one man and one woman.

7 posted on 05/17/2004 4:41:27 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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To: CWOJackson

Wrong, there only six states that don't have laws forbidding same sex marriage and Indiana isn't one of the six.

I see that you don't watch Brit Hume on FNC, he had Jonathan Turley on today explaining this. :)


8 posted on 05/17/2004 4:42:55 PM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Mr. Lucky

Roger that!


9 posted on 05/17/2004 4:43:32 PM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Mr. Lucky

It's going to happen all across the country. It might not be tomorrow, but it won't be long. They've won. Period. Remember this day.


10 posted on 05/17/2004 4:45:00 PM PDT by Hildy (...Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth. - Mark Twain)
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To: CWOJackson

So will my concealed carry license be recognized in Illinois, California and New York?


11 posted on 05/17/2004 4:45:10 PM PDT by sergeantdave (Gen. Custer wore an Arrowsmith shirt to his last property owner convention.)
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To: CWOJackson
Actually the Defense of Marriage act was meant to stop that.

My speculation of what's going to happen is that marriage from crazychusetts will not be recognized in California and a challenge to the Defense of Marriage act will be made in San Francisco.

The home of the 9th circus.

12 posted on 05/17/2004 4:45:38 PM PDT by Dane
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To: blackie

So do you trust federal courts to not rule state constitutions "unconstitutional" because of the FF&C Clause?


13 posted on 05/17/2004 4:46:02 PM PDT by RWR8189 (Its Morning in America Again!)
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To: blackie
Thanks for the update. This is something that has been worrying me for a long time.

Although the U.S. Constitution requires each state to give “full faith and credit” to the laws of other states, the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996, expressly undercuts the full faith and credit requirement in the case of same-sex marriages. Many states have also passed DOMA laws, specifically barring same-sex marriages in that state. Because of the apparent conflict between the federal DOMA and the U.S. Constitution, as well as all the other uncertainties in this area, equal rights advocates -- and their opponents -- are eager to have the U.S. Supreme Court decide the issue of same-sex marriage once and for all.

I think this whole things is going to get very ugly before it get's fixed.

14 posted on 05/17/2004 4:46:08 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: CWOJackson
Actually, Massachusetts' pre-existing marriage laws already provide that Massachusetts marriages aren't valid (even in Massachusetts' eyes) in states that would not recognize the validity of such marriages were the marriage performed on such states.

This provision's roots probably dealt with states that had a higher minimum-age requirement than did Massachusetts at the time, but it would appear to apply with equal vigor to bar "exportability" of same-sex Massachusetts marriages into states that do not recognize same.

15 posted on 05/17/2004 4:46:13 PM PDT by pogo101
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To: ambrose

Oh, shut up ...ot !


16 posted on 05/17/2004 4:47:25 PM PDT by traumer
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To: Dane
I don't think it will be over before it finally gets to the Supreme Court...and I sure hope President Bush has had an opportunity to replace a few justices before that happens.

I've got a feeling that this BS is going to end up jamming state courts for years.

17 posted on 05/17/2004 4:48:18 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: blackie

A legislator told me there would be an unholy legal mess with homosexual marriages so they had to pass a law that does not recognize it. Apparently the mess will be with wills and estates. He said the courts would be overwhelmed with cases regarding inheritance etc. Good luck.


18 posted on 05/17/2004 4:49:17 PM PDT by oldironsides
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: Hildy
Are you intending to marry someone of the same sex? Have you let the Soddomites defeat you? How about your family?

Jeez, can you imagine if the Apostles had been so weak in their faith.

20 posted on 05/17/2004 4:49:39 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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