'Treated like a criminal': Kim Davis' lawyer surprised with jail sentence

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who refused to grant gay marriage licenses, was arrested Thursday afternoon following U.S District Judge David Bunning's summons. Davis' arrest came as a complete surprise to her lawyer, Mat Staver, The Blaze reports.

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MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Staver, the founder of Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal firm, believes Bunning was treating Davis like "a criminal" after Davis was ordered put in jail until she agrees to follow court orders by granting same-sex licenses.

Staver was shocked, saying, "This wasn't even what was part of the original request from the plaintiffs in this case ... The judge went way beyond ... Kim Davis might be jailed for her conscience, but her conscience is free."

"This judge has just ignited a national debate and escalated it to a new level," the lawyer said. "There's no bail ... He's just putting her behind bars and treating her as a criminal."

Though Davis cannot be held indefinitely, Staver acknowledges Bunning has the liberty to detain her for an undefined amount of time before he brings her to court and asks if she will comply with the law.

Staver said he plans to meet with Davis to discuss their options.

In an earlier report by The Blaze, Kentucky State President Robert Stivers had been hoping the state legislature would exempt Davis from issuing same-sex licenses but legislature is on recess until next year.

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