Although Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis was finally set free on Tuesday after five days in detention, her lawyer said the apostolic Christian will continue to defy court and state orders for her to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples.
Davis' lawyer, Mat Staver from the non-profit legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel, said his client remains unbowed and undeterred and will continue to resist efforts to make her yield her religious conviction against gay unions.
"She's not going to violate her conscience," Staver said. "Nothing has been resolved," he told NBC News.
"She told the court Thursday that she can't allow licenses to go out under her name and her authority that authorise a marriage that collides with her conscience and religious conviction, and Kim is not changed on that position," Staver said.
Since Davis cannot be removed from her position unless impeached, being an elected official of Kentucky, she is expected to resume work later this week and in all likelihood will call for a stoppage in the issuance of marriage certificates to same-sex couples, which five of her deputies did in her absence while in jail.
Thus, another legal confrontation is expected since US District Judge David Bunning specifically said in his release order to Davis on Tuesday that the court will again consider "appropriate sanctions" on her if she interfered with the issuance of the marriage licences.
Davis earlier stated that she cannot allow marriage licences to be issued from her office, even if she wasn't the one signing them. She said this is because all licences issued by her office are, legally, authorised by her.
Davis said the issue can still be resolved amicably if Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear will issue an executive order relieving her of the task of signing and issuing same-sex marriage licences, citing her religious convictions as a reason.
However, Beshear has refused to issue such an order. "The governor's refusal to take elementary steps to protect religious liberties has now landed Kim Davis in jail," Staver said earlier.
"As a prisoner of her conscience, Davis continues to request a simple accommodation and exemption from Governor Beshear, who is overseeing Kentucky marriage policy," the lawyer added.
Davis emerged from the Carter County Detention Center on Tuesday amid cheers from her Christian supporters. She was accompanied by her husband Joe Davis, Staver and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Addressing the crowd onstage, Davis wept as she thanked them. "Just keep on pressing," she said. "Don't let down. Because He is here."
Huckabee and Republican presidential rival Ted Cruz both visited Davis in her detention cell before her release.
Huckabee also spoke to the crowd of Christian supporters, saying he, too, was willing to spend time behind bars to defend the rights of Christians to reject gay marriage.
"I'm not willing to spend one day under the tyranny of people that believe they can take our freedom away," Huckabee said.
