RALEIGH, N.C. — About 2 percent of North Carolina’s magistrates have officially recused themselves from performing marriages since the legislature passed a law last month responding to gay marriages becoming legal in the state last October.
A state court system spokeswoman said late Tuesday that it had received notices through Monday from 14 magistrates citing a “sincerely held religious objection.”
They are prohibited from performing civil marriages – for both straight and gay couples – for at least six months. There are more than 670 magistrates statewide.
The court system considers the magistrates’ names and their notices part of their personnel files and confidential.
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The law took effect June 11 after the legislature overrode Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto. Some county registers of deeds workers also can recuse themselves from issuing marriage licenses.
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