Lee County Probate Judge Bill English will begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples Friday, Feb. 13.
English said he made the decision after U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered the Mobile County probate judge to issue same-sex marriage licenses Thursday, Feb. 12, according to the Opelika-Auburn News.
English had previously said he would not issue same-sex licenses because of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore's order banning Alabama probate judges from doing so.
"I am complying with the directive from the chief justice," English said to a same-sex couple who tried to get married Monday, Feb. 9. "I received an order last night. It's the only direct order I've received in this situation."
The couple traveled to Montgomery County to obtain a marriage license and came back to Opelika to perform their marriage ceremony in the courthouse square.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," English said on Monday, Feb. 9. "It's not fair. I'm very disappointed in an 8 o'clock Sunday night ruling. I'm also very disappointed in a 5 o'clock Friday afternoon ruling. Those folks are not very appreciative of the position they're placing us in. Us being every [probate] judge in the state."
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