HAMMOND, La. (AP) - A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.
Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

Neither Bardwell nor the couple immediately returned phone calls from The Associated Press. But Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist.

"I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house," Bardwell said. "My main concern is for the children."

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

If he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

Thirty-year-old Beth Humphrey and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.

Humphrey told the newspaper she called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to inquire about getting a marriage license signed. She says Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples.

"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzman. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

The ACLU was preparing a letter for the Louisiana Supreme Court, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and see if they can remove him from office, Schwartzman said.

"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzman said.

According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.

Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.

The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it.

21st century america at its finest.

Oh and for the Judges defense that interracial marriages don't last, my reply is neither do same-race marriages.

So much for free will, equality, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. American ideals, no? (actually french but america adopted them too)

it is louisiana in the south where there is still prejudice and some still fly the stars and bars. but there is prejudice everywhere, including here, where they refer to people they don't know as blanco, blanca, moreno, etc. and they hate the hatians, etc. i have been laughed at by everyone in the carrito for being a blanco and refusing to pay the rip off price the choffer asked of me.

Yes but no dominican judge will deny your marriage to a dark skin dominican girl.

One thing is prejudices, which everyone executes. (any introductory sociology class will teach this) Another is institutionalized racism and denial of rights.

Also we don't hate haitians for their color, it is for other reasons. If you read some dominican history that will become evident. Also the use of blanco, trigueno, moreno, negro, prieto, are relics of spanish mulato-ism just like mestizaje. Its a gradation not the one drop rule that applies in the US, which is worse or better depends on who you ask.

Some food for thought.

NYC is a world apart from the rest of America... People tend to confuse the two!!

An interesting thing to note is that Louisiana was "racially" more progressive than most of Anglo-United States with an idea of skin color more akin to Latin America. It was only after being Anglicized that it adopted ideas like this.

Toro you are correct New Orleans has always been an oasis of Racial awareness and the South in many ways is and was more progressive than the phony Limousine Liberals of the North you gotta live in both places to know that

Sundown towns sure as hell weren't in Dixie.

but you still hate Haitians.

I don't know, hate is a very strong word, and I personally believe that dominicans don't really hate haitians. I think they have a COMPLEX relationship with haitians. I think many of the posters on this forum makes it seem like hate, but I say majority of dominicans are cool people, and are more frustrated with the haitians they see begging on their streets or the ones who may commit crimes on their territory. I feel some dominicans in this forum make the relationship seem worse than it is due to their ignorance, but for the most part I wouldn't be surprised if the same dominicans that bad mouth haitians had a haitian friend or two. That's my personal opinion of course from what I've seen with my own eyes.