“By affirming that Judge Neely may remain in her judicial positions, the Wyoming Supreme Court has recognized that her honorable beliefs about marriage do not disqualify her from serving her community as a judge, which she has done with distinction for more than two decades,” said Campbell, who is an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based religious advocacy law firm.

Patrick Nixon, an attorney for the Judicial Conduct and Ethics commission, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Commission Executive Director Wendy Soto declined to comment on the case and what the censure means for Neely.

The Supreme Court opinion noted that judicial discipline serves multiple purposes, including discouraging further misconduct by the judge and reinforcing the perception that judicial ethics are important.

Jason Marsden, executive director of the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation, which advocates for gay rights, said the foundation believes that any public official must serve members of the public equally, regardless of personal beliefs.

“We would simply ask the circuit court to remain watchful to ensure that there is no discrimination from the bench for any of the citizens in her jurisdiction should she continue to serve,” Marsden said.

The ethics commission investigated Neely after she told a reporter in 2014 that she wouldn’t preside over same-sex marriages. Her lawyers said no same-sex couples had asked her to perform their marriage before she made the comments to the local newspaper. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples nationwide may marry.

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