D.A. says he will arrest anyone who attempts a same-sex wedding

The Philidelphia Inquirer ^ | 3/3/04 | By Jeff Shields

[mylife]

Montco official opposes gay marriage

The D.A. says he will arrest anyone who attempts a same-sex wedding in his county.

By Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff Writer

Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. took on gay marriage yesterday in his campaign to become Pennsylvania attorney general by threatening to arrest anyone associated with a same-sex wedding in his county.

Same-sex marriage is not permitted in Pennsylvania, and no gay couples have sought a marriage license at the county courthouse in Norristown. Nevertheless, Castor released a letter yesterday to Register of Wills Frances Pierce, who issues marriage licenses.

"Should you, as clerk of the Orphan's Court, permit to be issued a marriage license to a gay or lesbian couple, you and your office would potentially face criminal liability," Castor wrote to Pierce.

Castor added that couples "holding themselves out to be married... are possibly committing frauds actionable by criminal prosecution."

Pierce asked Paul Bartle, solicitor to her office, for an opinion on the matter last week. Bartle responded by citing the state's Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman and invalidates same-sex marriages performed out of state. Bartle forwarded a copy to Castor.

Anyone issuing or seeking a same-sex marriage certificate could be charged with obstructing administration of law or other governmental function, a misdemeanor, Castor said.

"There should be no Rosie O'Donnell weddings in Pennsylvania, and there won't be if I'm the attorney general," he said. Comedian O'Donnell married her female partner last week in San Francisco, where more than 3,000 same-sex couples have been married since Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the issuance of marriage licenses to gays on Feb. 12.

Gay-rights advocates, civil-rights advocates, and Castor's Republican primary opponent questioned the timing and relevance of Castor's remarks.

Brian Nutt, a spokesman for Tom Corbett, Castor's opponent in the primary, said, "It's obvious to us and anybody's who's watching that he's using this as political grandstanding."

Stacy Sobel, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights in Philadelphia, said Castor's position doesn't mean much in a state where such marriages can't happen, and in a county where no one has tried to defy the law.

"For Bruce Castor to select this issue at this time, I believe, is inappropriate," Sobel said. "I would rather see him enforcing our laws and making sure our community is safe from criminals, rather than putting out press statements on issues that are highly unlikely to occur."

Larry Frankel, the American Civil Liberties Union director of legal affairs in Pennsylvania, said he was disturbed that Castor was carrying the issue into the criminal arena.

"The real question is why he needs to throw out a threat of criminal prosecution," Frankel said. "Let's have a civil debate about whether we should have gay marriages, rather than involving the heavy hand of the criminal justice system."

[Spruce]

No way! An officer of the court upholding the law? There is hope.

[Keen-Minded]

Way to go Bruce!!!

[Keen-Minded]

Way to go Bruce!!!

[Indy Pendance]

Finally, someone stands up for what's right!

"The real question is why he needs to throw out a threat of criminal prosecution," Frankel said. "Let's have a civil debate about whether we should have gay marriages, rather than involving the heavy hand of the criminal justice system."

Because it's against the law, it's what the American people want, 5 judges in MA don't make a majority.

[Agnes Heep]

Brian Nutt, a spokesman for Tom Corbett ....

You can't make this stuff up, folks.

[Paleo Conservative]

"There should be no Rosie O'Donnell weddings in Pennsylvania, and there won't be if I'm the attorney general," he said. Comedian O'Donnell married her female partner last week in San Francisco, where more than 3,000 same-sex couples have been married since Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the issuance of marriage licenses to gays on Feb. 12.

[livius]

Well, well! Congratulations!

[ElkGroveDan]

[Paleo Conservative]

Next!

[KnutCase]

Preemptive strike. If other states had taken this approach, this type of movement would have been stopped in its tracks. Where are the bold defenders of the law?

[L.N. Smithee]

Stacy Sobel, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights in Philadelphia, said Castor's position doesn't mean much in a state where such marriages can't happen, and in a county where no one has tried to defy the law.

"For Bruce Castor to select this issue at this time, I believe, is inappropriate," Sobel said. "I would rather see him enforcing our laws and making sure our community is safe from criminals, rather than putting out press statements on issues that are highly unlikely to occur."

Yeah, you tell 'em, sister! How dare he bring up something that can't happen in a state where they have a law against that sort of thing! Doesn't he know that the Gay-stapo's legal advocates have nothing but respect for the letter and spirit of the law and would never dream of 'political grandstanding?'

</industrial strength sarcasm>

[little jeremiah]

Homosexual Agenda Ping.

One of the good guys! I think we need a list of the good guys, what they're doing, if they are running for office, and so on. So we can let them know we support them, and help them out in one way or another.

Let me know if you want on or off this busy ping list.

[unixfox]

Where are the bold defenders of the law?

Unfortunately they all died in the early to mid 1800's.

What a shame.

[ICX]

*"For Bruce Castor to select this issue at this time, I believe, is inappropriate," Sobel said. "I would rather see him enforcing our laws and making sure our community is safe from criminals, rather than putting out press statements on issues that are highly unlikely to occur."*

That's funny - I'd rather see Gavin Newsom enforcing laws and keeping his community safe from criminals. Who says I don't agree with the left on anything?

'Highly unlikely to occur' my narrow white ass, buddy. Oregon and New York joined the pink festivities over the last few days - who's to say Pennsylvania's not next? I for one am glad that someone finally decided to pre-empt this mess and save themselves and their state a lot of work and money.

[JSteff]

"Let's have a civil debate about whether we should have gay marriages, rather than involving the heavy hand of the criminal justice system."

Now why does the queer agenda folks have such a tough time realizing that when ELECTED representatives made the law there ALREADY was a civil debate. The anwer was NO queer marriages.

That being said... this D.A. forgets the governor of his state (PA) has not really come in on this issue yet.

If Rendell suspects votes await, he will find a way to get those votes. Rendell never saw an issue he didn't want to poll. People thought Bill Clinton was slimmy, Rendell is twice as bad... and a stealth gun grabber to boot.

[mylife]

Doesn't he know that the Gay-stapo's legal advocates have nothing but respect for the letter and spirit of the law and would never dream of 'political grandstanding?'

A Tip of the hat to you L.N.

[scripter]

What's the job situation in Montgomery County? What's the housting costs? This sounds like a great place to move to compared to this cesspool some call California.

[apackof2]

BIG District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr BUMP

[gitmo]

The more I think about this homosexual marriage thing, the more I become convinced that the government shouldn't be in the marriage business at all.

In the early days of this nation, people didn't involve the government when they decided to wed. The church declared people to be married.

The Constitution doesn't give the government the authority to declare someone married or someone divorced. And I don't know of any state constitutions that do so, either. Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, and shouldn't involve governments. If two people claim to be married, the government should take them at their word.