Friday, June 6, Theresa Santai Gaffney, clerk of the Orphans Court of Schuylkill County, filed a Motion to Intervene in Whitewood v. Wolf seeking to protect traditional marriage.

The intervention seeks to have the Third Circuit of Appeals review Judge John E. Jones III decision in May that declared Pennsylvania’s one-man-one-woman marriage law unconstitutional.

Gaffney stated, “The people of Pennsylvania deserve to hear from the Court of Appeals on this important issue because a single judge should not be able to nullify the will of the majority without an appeal.”

Gaffney is represented by Attorney Jeff Conrad of Clymer Musser & Conrad, P.C. and Attorney Jim Smith of Smith Law Group, LLC. Gaffney also filed a motion to stay Judge Jones’s decision pending a ruling on the Motion to Intervene.

In an interview with WGAL, Conrad stated, “[Gaffney] believes very strongly in the institution of marriage, and she believes very strongly that the people should get a chance to be heard not just a singular judge.”

As the chief clerk of the office which provides marriage licenses in Schuylkill County, Gaffney hopes the intervention will provide clarity on her legal duties.

In the interim, Gaffney said, “Due to the uncertainty of the state of the law, I will continue issuing marriage licenses to all couples.”

View the WGAL report here and the full press release here.

Photo credit Bill McChesney.