One Same-Sex Marriage License Already Issued in DeKalb County

One day after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states cannot ban gay marriages, the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office issued the first license to a local same sex female couple.
“On Saturday morning the first couple came into the office and filled out the application. They completed the application process and obtained the marriage license. They were married over the weekend and returned their marriage license to us on Monday,” County Clerk James L (Jimmy) Poss told WJLE Tuesday.
Although only one license has been issued so far to a same sex couple, Poss said there have been other inquiries about the process for obtaining a license. “Once the ruling came down on Friday morning we got our first call and by the end of the day we had a total of three calls inquiring about same sex marriage. They were checking to see if our office was actually issuing the marriage license to same sex couples,” Poss said.
While the female couple did not request his office perform the marriage ceremony, Poss said he was asked on Saturday by another individual if he performed marriages for couples. “She was inquiring about how she could actually obtain a license and get married at the same place,” he said.
Poss announced upon taking office as county clerk last September that he would not perform marriage ceremonies. While state law gives county clerks the authority to marry couples, it is not mandated that they do so.
After Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Tennessee Attorney General advised county clerks across the state that they may begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The University of Tennessee County Technical Advisory Service Institute for Public Service sent an email to all 95 county clerks Friday morning in the wake of the court’s historic ruling. “We have been advised by the Tennessee Attorney General that county clerks may begin issuing marriage licenses immediately under the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling,” the CTAS message said.
Poss felt he had no choice but to comply with the ruling based upon the advice he was given since the U.S. Supreme Court has the final say in determining the laws of the land. “Both CTAS and Jay West, Executive Director of the County Officials Association sent emails and told us very early on after the ruling on Friday to begin issuing marriage licenses immediately, to not hold off for any reason,” said Poss.