Jury selection begins in trial to determine damages in lawsuit against former county clerk

ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) - A federal trial began on Monday afternoon to determine how much money Kim Davis might owe two same-sex couples.

Soon after the 2015 Supreme Court decision in which same-sex couples won the right to marry nationwide, Davis, a Christian who has a religious objection to same-sex marriage, stopped issuing all marriage licenses.

That led to lawsuits against her, and a judge ordered Davis to issue the licenses. She spent five days in jail after refusing.

A judge ruled that Davis, a former Rowan County Clerk, violated Constitutional rights by denying them marriage licenses.

The two lawsuits will be tried simultaneously because of their similar nature in the case.

The four plaintiffs in the suit are asking for compensatory damages, pre-and post-judgment interest, as well as legal fees.

The two juries will decide whether and how much Davis might have to pay in damages to the couples.

The jury selection process lasted five hours on Monday, with only about two-thirds of summoned jurors showing up.

Opening statements in the trial are expected on Tuesday.

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