DA clarifies same-sex marriage applications for Ellis County

Photo courtesy Ellis County District Attorney.

Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson.

ELLIS COUNTY — Another local Waxahachie newspaper published an article Friday with the headline "Ellis County Clerk's Office denies Waxahachie couple same-sex marriage license."

"It is inaccurate to claim that Ellis County is denying marriage applications to same-sex couples, as I have seen stated on other pages," Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson stated Saturday morning.

Two men, Lendall Barker and Thomas Hutchins, attempted to obtain a marriage license in Ellis County following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday that makes same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

"Ellis County, like the majority of counties in this state, is merely waiting for the state bureaucracy to catch up with the Supreme Court's ruling," Wilson said.

Patrick explained the reason the couple could not obtain a license in Ellis County is because the marriage application form currently provided by the State of Texas does not include options for same-sex marriages.

"While I have no personal knowledge, my only explanation for how other counties so rapidly issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples is that the marriage application form issued by the State of Texas was modified by those clerks' offices. Altering state-issued forms to suit ones political or moral objectives is not something I recommend," Wilson said.