Same-sex marriage » Weber County clerk offers personal apology to crowd.
Hundreds of marriage applicants were turned away at the Weber County clerk’s office Saturday afternoon after they had been told the office would open to issue licenses for one hour.
Weber County Clerk Ricky Hatch personally handed out an apology letter to each Utahn who stood in line outside the county’s offices for hours Saturday afternoon in anticipation of applying for marriage licenses.
Officials at the Ogden office had previously announced they would open between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to handle applications, after a federal judge declared Utah’s same-sex marriage ban invalid on Friday.
"I want to personally apologize for the confusion today," Hatch wrote in the statement. "I intended to open the office on Saturday for logistical reasons in anticipation of a large volume of marriage applicants on Monday.
"I did not anticipate the security requirements of opening the county building."
Hatch went on to say other tenants in the building worried about the influx of people and the security problems a crowd might create.
According to the statement, Hatch had also been advised that opening the office for "special circumstances" may violate equal-protection laws.
"There were a lot of people here who were really excited to get their marriage licenses today," said Max Green, a Weber County resident who works as Equality Utah’s assistant manager of community programs. "They left disappointed."
The Weber County clerk’s office will open at 8 a.m. Monday morning, at which point, Hatch assured the crowd Saturday that marriage license applications will be accepted.
"I understand this is an unprecedented circumstance and we’re doing our best to do the right thing in the right way," he wrote. "We will be fully staffed on Monday to meet the needs of our citizens."
story continues below
Green, who went to the Weber County office building Saturday to make sure Hatch "kept his promise," said he was satisfied by the genuine apology the crowd was given. But added he would have preferred there be no need for one.
Weber was the only county that offered or attempted to open its clerk’s office on Saturday following Judge Robert Shelby’s ruling.
Salt Lake and Davis County officials said their clerk’s offices will be open — as usual — on Monday morning.
[email protected]
Twitter: @Marissa_Jae
Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Hundreds of marriage applicants were turned away at the Weber County clerk’s office Saturday afternoon after they had been told the office would open to issue licenses for one hour.
Weber County Clerk Ricky Hatch personally handed out an apology letter to each Utahn who stood in line outside the county’s offices for hours Saturday afternoon in anticipation of applying for marriage licenses.
Officials at the Ogden office had previously announced they would open between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to handle applications, after a federal judge declared Utah’s same-sex marriage ban invalid on Friday.
"I want to personally apologize for the confusion today," Hatch wrote in the statement. "I intended to open the office on Saturday for logistical reasons in anticipation of a large volume of marriage applicants on Monday.
"I did not anticipate the security requirements of opening the county building."
Hatch went on to say other tenants in the building worried about the influx of people and the security problems a crowd might create.
According to the statement, Hatch had also been advised that opening the office for "special circumstances" may violate equal-protection laws.
"There were a lot of people here who were really excited to get their marriage licenses today," said Max Green, a Weber County resident who works as Equality Utah’s assistant manager of community programs. "They left disappointed."
The Weber County clerk’s office will open at 8 a.m. Monday morning, at which point, Hatch assured the crowd Saturday that marriage license applications will be accepted.
"I understand this is an unprecedented circumstance and we’re doing our best to do the right thing in the right way," he wrote. "We will be fully staffed on Monday to meet the needs of our citizens."
story continues below
Green, who went to the Weber County office building Saturday to make sure Hatch "kept his promise," said he was satisfied by the genuine apology the crowd was given. But added he would have preferred there be no need for one.
Weber was the only county that offered or attempted to open its clerk’s office on Saturday following Judge Robert Shelby’s ruling.
Salt Lake and Davis County officials said their clerk’s offices will be open — as usual — on Monday morning.
[email protected]
Twitter: @Marissa_Jae
Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.