Wedding Bells Ring Across Florida

Hundreds of couples are lined up across Florida at the county clerks' offices that have kindly opened their doors tonight. Weddings will continues until the wee hours of morning.

FLORIDA: Osceola County Judge Tells Liberty Counsel That They Can Suck It

Osceola County Circuit Judge Leticia Marques today told the Liberty Counsel to suck it, dismissing the Florida Family Policy Council's lawsuit against County Clerk Armando Ramirez, the state's only county clerk who had vowed to officiate same-sex weddings despite contrary advice from the legal group that represents all Florida clerks. Per local news outlets, Marques ruled that the suit was moot in light of yesterday's ruling by federal Judge Robert Hinkle. I'll update this post when the Liberty Counsel's suit against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer meets the same inevitable fate.

Seven Central Florida Counties: We'll Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses On Schedule

According to a survey conducted today by Orlando's CBS affiliate, seven Central Florida county clerks say they will be issuing same-sex marriage licenses on schedule when the stay dissolves. Osceola County Clerk Armando Ramirez, the renegade for equality in this ridiculous saga, is sticking to his original plan to open his office at midnight on Monday. Ramirez was the sole county clerk who had declared his intention to ignore the warning of the legal group that represents Florida's county clerks, a warning that was rescinded yesterday afternoon. Earlier this week Ramirez and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer were sued by the Liberty Counsel and the Florida Family Policy Council over their plans to conduct same-sex weddings on Tuesday.

NOTE: At this writing no Florida county clerk has declared an intention to refuse to issue licenses in the wake of yesterday's ruling by federal Judge Robert Hinkle, but some county offices are closed today. At least three Florida county clerks have announced that they will end all courthouse weddings rather than officiate for gay couples.

FLORIDA: Liberty Counsel Sues To Prevent Officials From Marrying Gay Couples

Local hater John Stemberger is at it again with help from the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel. Via CBS Miami:

With Florida’s gay marriage ban scheduled to be lifted on January 6th, a conservative group is trying to put the brakes on the plan. The Florida Family Action Inc. filed two lawsuits Tuesday, asking a judge to prevent the officials from either officiating or issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting next week. The officials named in the lawsuits are Osceola County Clerk of Court Armando Ramirez, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Circuit Judge Robert LeBlanc. The conservative group argues the lifting of the ban on same-sex marriage applies to only Washington County in the Panhandle, where the legal challenge to the state’s same-sex marriage ban originated. Ramirez has promised to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Via press release from Florida Family Action:

Florida Family Action (FFA) announced today the filing of two lawsuits against three elected officials in Central Florida who have made clear public statements of their intentions to defy Florida law and either issue same-sex marriage licenses or officiate over same-sex marriage ceremonies on or after January 6, 2015. Florida Family Action is being represented by Liberty Counsel a leading constitutional advocacy group in the lawsuits which are filed in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida covering Orange and Osceola counties. One lawsuit was filed against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Bob LeBlanc, and a separate second lawsuit against Osceola County Clerk of Court Armando Ramirez.

John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Action organization issued the following statement regarding the lawsuits: “All three of these officials have shown great contempt and disrespect for the rule of law and are behaving irresponsibly and unprofessionally. The federal court decision is clear that it only applies narrowly to the two plaintiffs and only in Washington County. Elected officials must be held accountable to the law and to the constitution they have sworn to uphold. Part of the reason for the recent landslide mid-term election was the utter disregard and insolence shown by President Obama for the rule of law which is now infecting so many other politicians across America. Respect for law must be restored or else legitimacy in government as an institution will diminish at an even greater rate. Ultimately, if these local officials continue in this same reckless pattern of behavior, they could easily face the same fate as so many other politicians did who are now retired as a result of the last election.”

The suit against Osceola County can be seen here. The suit against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer can be seen here.  The clerk for Osceola County is the only one outside of Washington County that has vowed to marry same-sex couples immediately upon the end of the stay. Last week Dyer announced a mass wedding to be held at Orlando City Hall on that day.

RELATED: In July, Stemberger declared that the fight against same-sex marriage "is worth dying for."

UPDATE: Liberty Counsel has issued a press release:

“In sum, the Court may not expand the Preliminary Injunction as an afterthought, to afford relief that no one requested, benefiting persons who are not plaintiffs, at the expense of clerks who are not defendants,” said Horatio Mihet, Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel for Liberty Counsel, in the filing. The new lawsuits against the Osceola County Clerk of Court, Armando Ramirez, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Circuit Judge Robert LeBlanc were filed in response to the officials’ dereliction of their official public duties. Osceola Clerk Ramirez is actively soliciting same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses to be issued “one minute after midnight” in Kissimmee on January 6, in blatant violation of his sworn oath to uphold Florida’s marriage laws. In Orlando, Mayor Dyer and Judge LeBlanc have both agreed to officiate and promote public mass wedding ceremonies on January 6, despite having no legal authority to solemnize the marriages of same-sex couples.

FLORIDA: Almost All County Clerks Plan To Refuse Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Via the Associated Press:

Most of Florida's 67 clerks of court don't plan to issue marriage licenses to gay couples on Jan. 6, paralyzed by confusion over whether a ban on same-sex marriage is being lifted across the whole state that day, according to an Associated Press survey. Of the 53 clerks who responded to the AP survey, 46 said they wouldn't grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples because they lack legal authority. Six clerks said they hadn't made up their minds; Only one clerk outside Washington County, Osceola County's Armando Ramirez, said he would issue the licenses. Ramirez said his office would begin issuing marriage permits for same-sex couples a minute after midnight on Jan. 6. He said it's a matter of not discriminating against a minority group. "We won't waste any time," he said.

On Wednesday federal Judge Robert Hinkle gave the state until Monday to respond to a motion filed by the Washington County clerk. That motion seeks clarification on whether the clerk must only issue a license to the one couple named in the federal suit that overturned Florida's ban statewide. The ban had previously been declared unconstitutional by state judges in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

RELATED:  Osceola County, just south of Orlando, is home to a large portion of Walt Disney World, whose boundaries also stretch north into Orange County.