NY Mayor Faces Charges for Marrying Couples

May 31, 2005

ALBANY — The village mayor who challenged New York law by attempting to marry gay couples last year will face trial, the state's highest court ruled Friday.

New Paltz Mayor Jason West faces 24 misdemeanor counts of violating the state's domestic relations law by marrying couples without licenses in late February 2004. He faces fines and up to a year in jail if convicted.

West has maintained he was upholding the gay couples' constitutional rights to equal protection—and thus his oath of office—by allowing them to wed in the Hudson Valley college town in late February 2004.

But officials, including Gov. George Pataki, have said same-sex ceremonies violate state law.