Mathew Staver

Mathew D. "Mat" Staver, J.D., is an American lawyer and former Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) pastor who became a Southern Baptist.^[2] He is the founding member and Chairman of the Liberty Counsel law firm since 1989.

Personal life and career

Staver received his B.A. in theology from Southern Missionary College, his M.A. in Religion from Andrews University, and his J.D. from the University of Kentucky. During college he began a process which led him to later leave the SDA church and eventually attended a Southern Baptist church.^[2]

As a Young Earth creationist who believes that intelligent design should be taught in public schools, Staver also denies Darwinian evolution.^[3]

He has argued before the Supreme Court of the United States twice and has argued, generally unsuccessfully, before most of the federal courts of appeals.^[4]

Staver served as Liberty University's law school dean from 2006 to 2014.

In 2011 he was added to the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, which was started by Senator Grassley.^[5]

Staver has been a frequent guest speaker at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.^[6]

As of October 2015, Staver stated that 100,000 people gathered in Peru to support his client, Kim Davis, in support of her refusal to issue marriage licenses. The event in question has since been proven to have happened over a year ago and was unrelated to Davis.^[7] Liberty Counsel issued a press release afterwards stating that Staver relied on a member of the Peruvian Congress for the information on the rally.^[8]

Legal cases

In 1994 Staver argued the Madsen v. Women's Health Center, Inc. at the United States Supreme Court, representing individuals who fought a court order banning protesters from interfering with those entering or exiting the clinic within a 36-foot buffer zone. The Court ultimately ruled 6-3 striking down the 300-foot zone around people going in and out of the clinic and striking down the prohibition against images "observable" from inside the clinic.^[9] The court upheld the 36-foot buffer zone.^[10] An audio recording of the case was made by the Supreme Court.^[11]

In 2012 Staver unsuccessfully argued a case^[12] at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia on behalf of Liberty University against the Affordable Care Act. On July 12, 2013, the Fourth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act over Liberty's arguments against the "employer mandate."^[13]

Staver also unsuccessfully represented Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis who has fought issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples based on her religious objection.^[14]

References

External links

• About Liberty Counsel - includes biography of Mathew Staver at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2008-11-07)