A West Virginia panel has warned a
circuit judge who refuses to marry gay and lesbian couples in his
courtroom.
Mineral Circuit Judge Lynn Nelson was
issued the warning by the West Virginia Judicial Investigation
Commission following a complaint filed in October by Fairness West
Virginia, which advocates for LGBT rights in West Virginia.
According to the Charleston
Gazette-Mail, the commission did not charge Nelson with any
ethical violations.
“It's against my religious beliefs,”
Nelson said. “I've allowed same-sex couples to adopt children in
my courtroom. I've given them their children back in abuse and
neglect cases. On divorce appeals, I've handled them just like
everybody else, but I'm just not interested in getting them married.
The Supreme Court told me I didn't have to marry anyone I didn't want
to.”
In response to the complaint, Nelson
decided he won't perform any marriages.
According to Fairness West Virginia,
there are four West Virginia counties where all judges have stopped
performing marriage ceremonies.