COLUMBUS – An Ohio judicial board has ruled that judges who perform weddings can’t refuse same-sex couples based on personal, moral or religious beliefs.
The board also says judges who stop performing all marriages to avoid marrying same-sex couples may be interpreted as biased and could be disqualified from any case where sexual orientation is an issue.
In its ruling, issued Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct quotes “the statutory oath of office that obligates each judge to support the U.S. and Ohio Constitutions, administer justice without respect to persons, and impartially perform all judicial duties.”
The panel issued the ruling after a Toledo judge who refused to perform a same-sex wedding asked the board to clarify his duties.
Municipal Judge C. Allen McConnell said he didn’t marry a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs after the U.S. Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in all 50 states in July. McConnell said Monday he would abide by the board’s opinion.
The board said judges should consider the impact that a decision to decline to perform all civil marriages may have on the public’s perception of the judiciary.