Latest news with #MattBevin
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Clerk who denied same-sex marriage licenses in 2015 is still fighting Supreme Court's ruling
The Kentucky county clerk who became known around the world for her opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage is still arguing in court that it should be overturned. Kim Davis became a cultural lightning rod 10 years ago, bringing national media and conservative religious leaders to eastern Kentucky as she continued for weeks to deny the licenses. She later met Pope Francis in Rome and was parodied on 'Saturday Night Live.' Kim Davis denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples Davis began denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Videos of a same-sex couple arguing with Davis in the clerk's office over their denial of a license drew national attention to her office. She defied court orders to issue the licenses until a federal judge jailed her for contempt of court in September 2015. Davis was released after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. The Kentucky Legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses. Davis cited her Christian faith Davis said her faith forbade her from what she saw as an endorsement of same-sex marriage. Faith leaders and conservative political leaders including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and then-Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin rallied to her cause. After her release from jail, Davis addressed the media, saying that issuing same-sex marriage licenses 'would be conflicting with God's definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. This would be an act of disobedience to my God.' Davis declined a request for an interview from The Associated Press for this story. A man who was denied a license ran for her office In 2018, one of the men who had confronted Davis over her defiance ran for her office. David Ermold said he believed people in Rowan County were sick of Davis and wanted to move on. When he went to file his papers for the Democratic primary, Davis, a Republican, was there in her capacity as clerk to sign him up. Sitting across a desk from each other, the cordial meeting contrasted the first time they met three years earlier. Both candidates lost; Ermold in the primary and Davis in the general election. She has not returned to politics. 10 years later, Davis wants the Supreme Court to reconsider same-sex marriage Davis' lawyers are attempting again to get her case before the Supreme Court, after the high court declined to hear an appeal from her in 2020. A federal judge has ordered Davis to pay a total of $360,000 in damages and attorney fees to Ermold and his partner. Davis lost a bid in March to have her appeal of that ruling heard by a federal appeals court, but she will appeal again to the Supreme Court. Her attorney, Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, said the goal is affirm Davis' constitutional rights and 'overturn Obergefell.'
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Clerk who denied same-sex marriage licenses in 2015 is still fighting Supreme Court's ruling
The Kentucky county clerk who became known around the world for her opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage is still arguing in court that it should be overturned. Kim Davis became a cultural lightning rod 10 years ago, bringing national media and conservative religious leaders to eastern Kentucky as she continued for weeks to deny the licenses. She later met Pope Francis in Rome and was parodied on 'Saturday Night Live.' Kim Davis denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples Davis began denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Videos of a same-sex couple arguing with Davis in the clerk's office over their denial of a license drew national attention to her office. She defied court orders to issue the licenses until a federal judge jailed her for contempt of court in September 2015. Davis was released after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. The Kentucky Legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses. Davis cited her Christian faith Davis said her faith forbade her from what she saw as an endorsement of same-sex marriage. Faith leaders and conservative political leaders including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and then-Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin rallied to her cause. After her release from jail, Davis addressed the media, saying that issuing same-sex marriage licenses 'would be conflicting with God's definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. This would be an act of disobedience to my God.' Davis declined a request for an interview from The Associated Press for this story. A man who was denied a license ran for her officeIn 2018, one of the men who had confronted Davis over her defiance ran for her office. David Ermold said he believed people in Rowan County were sick of Davis and wanted to move on. When he went to file his papers for the Democratic primary, Davis, a Republican, was there in her capacity as clerk to sign him up. Sitting across a desk from each other, the cordial meeting contrasted the first time they met three years earlier. Both candidates lost; Ermold in the primary and Davis in the general election. She has not returned to politics. 10 years later, Davis wants the Supreme Court to reconsider same-sex marriageDavis' lawyers are attempting again to get her case before the Supreme Court, after the high court declined to hear an appeal from her in 2020. A federal judge has ordered Davis to pay a total of $360,000 in damages and attorney fees to Ermold and his partner. Davis lost a bid in March to have her appeal of that ruling heard by a federal appeals court, but she will appeal again to the Supreme Court. Her attorney, Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, said the goal is affirm Davis' constitutional rights and 'overturn Obergefell.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bevins ‘paid for pain, not protection,' says lawyer for former governor's adopted son
Jonah Bevin, adoptive son of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and Glenna Bevin, speaks to attorney Dawn Post, left, in court in Louisville, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Michael Clevenger, Courier Journal, via press pool) Lawyers for Jonah Bevin, the adopted son of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, have filed a sharply worded reply to claims Matt Bevin filed under seal April 25 in which he responds to 'certain assertions' made by his estranged son. In a response Tuesday, Dawn J. Post, a lawyer and child advocate representing Jonah, disputes assertions that Matt and Glenna Bevin — who are now divorced — spent 'significant resources' on care for the youth they adopted around age 5 from Ethiopia. In reality, most money was spent on a series of out-of-state residential facilities for Jonah, starting at age 13, culminating in his abandonment at age 17 at the Atlantis Leadership Academy, a brutally violent youth facility in Jamaica that was shut down by child welfare authorities in 2024, Post said in a 10-page affidavit. 'The Bevins paid for pain, not protection,' Post's affidavit said. 'Jonah's harm stemmed from the decisions of those responsible for his well-being, not his own actions.' While Matt Bevin portrays Jonah as a 'troubled teen,' Post responds his behavior and emotional well-being were worsened by harsh and sometimes abusive facilities, most of all the Jamaican facility where youths allege brutal beatings and treatment that amounted to torture. Matt Bevin claims to have filed his affidavit under seal 'due to the sensitive nature of the content,' lawyer John H. Helmers, who also represents Jonah, said in a filing Tuesday that accompanies Post's affidavit. Their filing is public. The Bevins did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Former KY Gov. Matt Bevin's adopted son reportedly removed from abusive facility in Jamaica The filing comes in the midst of a court battle between Jonah and his adoptive parents over the son's claims of abuse and neglect and allegations the couple abandoned him in Jamaica. As part of the case, Jonah has obtained protective orders against Matt and Glenna Bevin, barring them from direct contact with him, in part because he alleged they tried to get him out of the country this year on a hastily arranged trip to Ethiopia. The Bevins claimed to have located Jonah's birth mother they had previously told him was deceased, according to court records. Jonah has since said in a court filing he believes 'they were trying to get me to disappear.' Matt Bevin, in his affidavit, said during a period in October 2023 when he was living with the Bevins, Jonah was charged with assaulting and threatening to kill a family member. Post's affidavit said Jonah has never denied the incident, an apparent altercation with his father, and entered a diversion program under court supervision in Jefferson County to resolve the charges. But the event highlights a 'critical inconsistency,' Post's affidavit said. It says Jonah — while supposedly under court supervision, was removed in late 2023 at age 17 and sent out of the country to Jamaica with no notice to the court or family court judge who was then presiding over the Bevins' divorce case, including oversight of their minor children. 'Why was this court never informed of his removal and custodial status at that time?' it asks. Post's affidavit also provides the first detailed account in the court record of Jonah's alleged abandonment in Jamaica by the Bevins and their refusal to intervene on his behalf after he was removed from the Jamaica facility along with six other youths by child welfare officials. Matt Bevin alleges he worked on Jonah's behalf but Post, in her affidavit said 'Matt Bevin did the exact opposite and Glenna Bevin did not intervene on Jonah's behalf.' Instead, she said, through her involvement in the court case she learned Matt Bevin was seeking to keep Jonah in Jamaica. 'I don't have anybody': Adoptive teen son of a KY governor talks about life on his own Post said, she, as a child advocate, spent three weeks in Jamaica in 2024 working on behalf of the youths removed from the facility, including Jonah, and said the Bevins were only parents who did not 'engage' with the U.S. embassy or Jamaican child welfare authorities to assist in his care and return to the United States. The case attracted international media attention after hotel heiress and celebrity Paris Hilton — an advocate for children in the so-called 'troubled teen' industry — flew to Jamaica to aid the youths. At a court hearing in Jamaica, the defense lawyer for the Atlantis Academy — whose employees are facing abuse charges in Jamaica — claimed he had been retained by the Bevins to speak on Jonah's behalf and argued for the facility to be reopened and Jonah returned to it, Post's affidavit said. Post described Jonah as 'noticeably withdrawn' and said he told her he was aware his family did not want him back. As a result, Jonah was placed in custody of the Jamaican child welfare system while Post and various authorities in that country and the United States tried to work out a placement in the United States, settling on a provider in Florida. Officials needed approval of Jonah's parents, but were unable to reach them to obtain their assistance, the affidavit said. Post, in her affidavit, said she then called Glenna Bevin herself. In a recorded call, Glenna Bevin told her she agreed with the plan but she and Matt Bevin disagreed. She said she would try to reach her then-husband but warned he could be 'tricky' and that he 'doesn't always respond' to attempts to contact him. Glenna Bevin also asked Post to share her contact information with officials because 'Matt Bevin had allegedly left her out of Jonah's care and protection.' Jonah Bevin returned to the United States in May 2024, three months after he was removed from the Jamaican facility, after officials with the U.S. embassy obtained the Bevins' consent, Post's affidavit said. 'I worked for weeks with Jamaican and U.S. Embassy authorities to arrange and pay for Jonah's return flight to the United States on which he was accompanied by a U.S. State Department representative,' Post's affidavit said. His return came 'despite the work of the Bevins to keep him in Jamaica' and 'at no cost to the Bevins,' it said. Post's affidavit said Jonah remains traumatized by the events and, since legal proceedings began earlier this year, underwent a comprehensive evaluation at a Child Advocacy Center of his physical and emotional health. 'The Bevins have never initiated an inquiry into the long-term impact of the trauma Jonah suffered while in their care, nor have they ever asked him about the continuing effects of the abuse and neglect,' Post's affidavit said. 'There has been no meaningful effort to address the harm Jonah suffered both in Jamaica and in prior placements,' it said. Jonah turned 18 last November after returning to the United States from Jamaica but has questioned in a court filing whether that birth date is accurate, citing a recently obtained adoption document that shows a different birth day, which would make him just 17. Meanwhile, Jonah is still awaiting a ruling from Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson on his request to intervene in the case to protect his interests. He has said he is living on his own without support from the Bevins and spent his 18th birthday in a homeless shelter. Jonah and the Courier Journal have both objected to the Bevins' request that their proposed divorce settlement, which the judge must review, be kept confidential. Following a hearing last month, Judge Johnson said she hopes to rule as soon as possible. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘I'm a real person': Ex-governor's adopted son makes case for intervening in parents' divorce
Jonah Bevin, adoptive son of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and Glenna Bevin, speaks to attorney Dawn Post, left, in court in Louisville, March 21, 2025. (Photo by Michael Clevenger, Courier Journal, via press pool) LOUISVILLE — In advance of a hearing Monday afternoon over Jonah Bevin's effort to intervene in the divorce case of his adoptive parents, former Gov. Matt Bevin and his ex-wife Glenna, a flurry of motions offers sharply different claims about Jonah's care. The recent filings even raise questions about Jonah's age — whether he is 18, as he had believed, or just 17, because of a conflict in records that recently came to light. Matt Bevin, in filing Friday, said Jonah's claims of neglect, abandonment and abuse 'are not grounded in fact or law and are, instead, intended to garner media attention and outrage.' 'The truth is entirely different and it is heartbreaking to Matt to see his son caught up in this web,' it said, adding that 'Jonah is deeply loved by his entire family' and cites Matt Bevin's 'unshakable love and commitment for his son.' Glenna Bevin, in a separate filing, said she is 'very sad' about the contentious legal proceedings, adding 'she loves her son Jonah and wants only the best for him.' Both Matt and Glenna Bevin are subject to protective orders barring them from contact with Jonah, who sought the orders last month in Jefferson Family Court, alleging they attempted to send him on a hastily arranged trip to Ethiopia, supposedly to meet his birth mother, whom he believed was deceased. Dawn J. Post, a child advocate and lawyer representing Jonah, said she has not been able to find any evidence Jonah's birth mother is alive. Jonah, in a filing Monday, restates his allegations he was abandoned by the Bevins in Jamaica after child welfare authorities closed the Atlantis Youth Academy for abuse and neglect, removing residents and leaving him for a time in the custody of the Jamaican child welfare system. 'Where is the love my parents said they had for me because they didn't show it when they left and ignored me. Other parents came to get their kids,' he said in an affidavit. 'My parents either lied or left out the truth over and over. Because of that I've been on my own. I've been trying to speak up because nobody else has done it for me.' Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson has scheduled a hearing Monday afternoon to decide whether to permit Jonah to intervene in the Bevins' divorce case in order to prevent them from reaching a confidential settlement. The Courier Journal also is objecting to keeping such a settlement private, saying court records generally are open to the public. Meanwhile, Jonah has reported to the court his exact age is in dispute; recently obtained records show he may be only 17 instead of 18, as he previously believed. 'I feel that I am not real,' Jonah said in his affidavit. 'No one knows my real age.' A motion filed Friday by his lawyers says Jonah, who was one of four children adopted by the Bevins in 2012 from Ethiopia, said records the Bevins recently provided show conflicting birth dates. One of the records the Bevins provided shows Jonah's birth date as November 2006, which Jonah had thought was his true birth date, and the other, November 2007, the motion said. If Jonah is just 17, and still a minor, that could affect his pending case, said one of Jonah's lawyers, John Helmers Jr. Prior to the recent filings, court records have said the Bevins' five biological children are adults and that only one of the four adopted children is a minor. It makes Jonah's case for intervening in the Bevins' divorce stronger since the court has a greater responsibility toward minor children, Helmers said in an email. Matt Bevin's motion objecting to Jonah intervening in the divorce case dismissed the issue, saying that it was 'undisputed' the teen turned 18 in November 2024 and therefore is 'emancipated.' He and Glenna Bevin both ask, in separate motions, that Jonah's request to intervene as a party in their divorce case be denied. Jonah, in his affidavit, disagrees, saying his alleged abuse, neglect and abandonment deserve consideration. 'The court can't just let this go on like it didn't happen,' it said. 'I'm not just a name on paper. I'm a real person. What happened to me was real. Leaving me out of this case says it didn't happen.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Gov. Matt Bevin grills adopted son about a pet dog in hearing on protective order
Jonah Bevin, left, attended a court hearing Friday with his lawyer, John Helmers Jr., over an emergency protective order he is seeking to retain against his adoptive father, former Gov. Matt Bevin. At center is his adoptive mother, Glenna Bevin with lawyer Steve Romines and at right, Matt Bevin. (Photo by Michael Clevenger, Courier Journal, via press pool) LOUISVILLE — An unusual bit of courtroom drama unfolded Friday when former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin — acting as his own attorney — grilled his adopted son, Jonah, about an emergency protective order the son is seeking to keep in place against Bevin. Jonah, 18, adopted at age 5 from Ethiopia, alleges he experienced abuse and neglect in the Bevin home, culminating in his abandonment at a brutally abusive youth facility last year in Jamaica while he was 17. Jonah is seeking an extension of the temporary protective order he obtained March 7 against Matt Bevin, saying he fears him and wants no contact with him. Matt Bevin, seated beside his ex-wife, Glenna, at a table next to Jonah's, spent about 30 minutes questioning him about a three-page statement Jonah provided in support of his request for an EPO — at one point challenging his claim that Matt Bevin had threatened to euthanize Jonah's pet dog if the youth failed to follow his directives. In a series of questions, the one-term Republican governor, seated with a stack of documents before him, demanded to know who paid for the dog, bought dog food and purchased its dog bed. 'You paid,' Jonah replied, but 'I had to pay you back for everything.' Friday's hearing was continued until Tuesday by Family Court Judge Angela Johnson after parties said they would need more time to present witnesses. The couple's divorce became final March 18. Glenna Bevin, who is not subject to the EPO, appeared alongside her lawyer, Steve Romines, a prominent Louisville defense lawyer In addition to seeking the protective order, Jonah Bevin has filed a report with Louisville Metro Police, alleging he was abandoned in Jamaica at age 17 by the Bevins, a Class D felony in Kentucky. She sat quietly, hands folded in her lap, while her lawyer handled questions on her behalf. Romines spent most of his time apparently seeking to distance Glenna Bevin from allegations involving her ex-husband and show that she had attempted to get help for Jonah's emotional problems and learning disabilities. Neither Bevin has commented on Jonah's allegations, first reported in the Kentucky Lantern Feb. 28. After the 90-minute hearing ended Friday, Matt Bevin twice ignored a reporter asking if he had any comment on the proceedings, walking by without reply. Glenna Bevin's lawyers said they would have no comment until the hearing is concluded. Jonah also left without commenting. Dawn J. Post, a New York lawyer and child advocate also representing Jonah, said the experience of having to testify about his ordeal — especially under questioning from Matt Bevin, who he has accused of abuse — was 'emotionally retraumatizing.' She called Bevin's decision to represent himself, and thus directly question his son, 'unexpected.' 'That certainly can feel like another form of abuse,' Post said, referring to the questions by his father. Jonah, sitting beside his lawyer, John Helmers Jr., spoke softly, at times, almost inaudibly during the hearing, at one point prompting Family Court Judge Angela Johnson to ask him to speak louder. During Matt Bevin's questioning, Helmers twice asked the judge to direct him from interrupting Jonah while he was attempting to answer, which she did. Jonah was asked by the judge to verify the statement he provided in support of the EPO was truthful after Johnson read it into the court record. 'Yes ma'am,' he replied. The statement alleged a threat by Matt Bevin that 'I can take your life' and 'I can make your life miserable.' It also included allegations Glenna Bevin slapped and struck him and the Bevins recently tried to 'coerce' him into a trip to Ethiopia to meet his biological mother, whom they previously had told him was deceased. 'I now believe they were trying to get me to disappear,' his statement said. The judge also asked if had any contact with the Bevins during the several months he was held at the Atlantis Leadership Academy — which he said involved brutal beatings and punishment that amounted to torture — before Jamaican child welfare authorities shut it down for suspected abuse and neglect. 'I didn't have any contact with them,' he said, adding youths were not permitted to make phone calls to families. 'Did they call you?' Johnson asked. 'No ma'am,' he replied. Jonah also said he had no help from the Bevins after he was removed from the Jamaican facility and eventually returned to the United States, he believes with the help of the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica, which was involved in the case. Under questioning from Romines, Jonah detailed a troubled life he acknowledged involved being kicked out of several schools, running away, altercations with the Bevins and other problems. He has said he was sent to the first of a series of out of state facilities by the Bevins at age 13. He also said he was sexually assaulted at age 10 by someone connected to the Bevin family and said Glenna Bevin had obtained counseling for him. The case will be back in court April 1 with the Bevins planning to present witnesses expected to include some of their adult children. They have four children adopted from Ethiopia, including Jonah and five biological children, all but one is over 18. Helmers, Jonah's lawyer, declined to predict the outcome but said this: 'We're just confident the judge is going to do the right thing.'
