Mayor Who Married Gays Won’t Be Charged
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Ulster County Dist. Atty. Donald Williams dropped all charges against a small-town mayor who could have faced up to a year in jail for marrying gay couples on the steps of the village hall, saying that the prosecution was unnecessary.
New Paltz Mayor Jason West was among the first public officials in the nation to marry same-sex couples, following San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in February 2004.
West had been charged with 24 misdemeanor counts of violating the state’s domestic relations law after marrying about two dozen couples in ceremonies that drew national attention to the village of about 13,000 residents 75 miles north of New York.
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