Jacksonville lawyers working to restart courthouse weddings

Jacksonville, Fla. (AP) — A group of Jacksonville attorneys want to take over the job of performing courthouse weddings now that the Duval County court clerk has stopped offering the ceremonies after same-sex marriage became legal in Florida.

Jacksonville Bar President Troy Smith said the group's attorneys are working on a formal plan to present to the court.

The Florida Times-Unionreports that the court's chief judge, Mark Mahon, and another judge have been performing gay marriage ceremonies, but do not have the resources to continue it full-time.

Mahon told the attorneys to come up with a plan that would not require much judicial involvement.

All marriage ceremonies in the courthouse were halted when Ronnie Fussell, the clerk, said some staff wasn't comfortable uniting same-sex couples after Florida's ban on gay marriage was lifted.

Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union.

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The Gayly – January 18, 2015 @ 10:50am.