Kentucky clerk Kim Davis was released from jail on Tuesday afternoon.
Following her release, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee commended Davis for not violating her conscience.
“She was willing to go to jail for what she believed,” said Huckabee.
“She’s shown more courage than any politician I know or any pastor I know."
“She put her life at risk in order to follow her religion," he continued. "We are all thankful for you and thank God for you. We are delighted for you and stand for you.”
Huckabee added that, if Davis faces further legal trouble in the future for standing up for her religious beliefs, he would be “willing to go to jail in her place.”
“I’m willing to go to jail in her place,” said Huckabee.
“We cannot criminalize the Christian faith or anybody’s faith in this country. I am praying that there will be remedies to this issue.”
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis was arrested on Sept. 3 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples since the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage two months ago. She argued that her Christian faith and religious freedom should exempt her from having to do so.
Davis plans to return to work on Monday.
A judge ordered for Davis's release on Tuesday on the grounds that her office would issue marriage licenses to all eligible same-sex couples. The order indicates that five of her six deputy deputies have stated under oath that they will comply with the Supreme Court law to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
As a compromise, Kim Davis will not be forced to issue the licenses and any licenses issued to gay couples will not have her name on them.
Her attorney Mat Staver says the fight is not yet over, as any licenses issued by her office are still done so under her jurisdiction.
He released the following statement:
“We are pleased that Kim Davis has been ordered released. She can never recover the past six days of her life spent in an isolated jail cell, where she was incarcerated like a common criminal because of her conscience and religious convictions. She is now free to return to her family, her coworkers and the office where she has faithfully served for the past 27 years. We will continue to assist Kim and pursue the multiple appeals she has filed.”
If Ms. Davis refuses to comply, her office may be stripped of its privilege to issue marriage licenses and she may face time in jail once more.
Broadcasted live, the rally for Kim Davis’s release in Grayson, Ky. was planned a week ago by governor Huckabee. Coincidentally, Davis was released the same day of the rally.