PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: …It is unusual for a register of wills to be a lawyer, but [D. Bruce] Hanes ‘ first deputy, Joan H. Nagel – also a lawyer – said he brought needed skills to the office. “He’s very organized and methodical. He brought the abilities of an attorney, for the first time, to this position,” Nagel said.
Those abilities came into play early in his tenure, when counties clashed over the issuance of “Quaker,” or self-uniting, licenses which allow couples to marry without a minister. In 2007, clerks in Bucks and Delaware Counties and others began asking couples to provide proof of religious affiliation before issuing the licenses.
Hanes, along with the clerks in Philadelphia and Chester Counties, argued that it was inappropriate to ask those questions or deny self-uniting licenses to non-Quakers. He told The Inquirer, “I’m elected to carry out the law evenly, not interpret the law to suit my beliefs.” … (more)
