Ohio Board: Judges Must Perform Gay Weddings

An Ohio judicial board has ruled that judges can not refuse to perform same-sex weddings based on personal, moral or religious beliefs.

The ruling came after Toledo Municipal Judge C. Allen McConnell refused to perform a same-sex wedding because of his religious beliefs.

The Ohio Supreme Court's Board of Professional Conduct says judges must not follow their "beliefs concerning the societal or religious acceptance or validity of same-sex marriage."

The board says judges who stop performing all marriages to avoid marrying same-sex couples may be considered biased.

Those judges could then be disqualified from any case where sexual orientation is an issue.

Judge McConnell says he will now obey the board's ruling and will marry a same-sex couple if requested.

The decision didn't spell out specific punishment a judge could face for refusing to marry a same-sex couple.

But Ohio judges who violate judicial codes of conduct face punishments ranging from reprimands to disbarment.