Lousiana JP quits over interracial marriage flap

A Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple resigned Tuesday, after weeks of calls for his ouster.

We were first introduced to Keith Bardwell almost thee weeks ago by DigitalJournal.com's Chris Dade, and today his saga apparently comes to an end. Bardwell made national news after refusing to marry an interracial couple "for the good of the children." Since his story came to light, Mr. Bardwell has come under fire and faced numerous calls to resign. Today, he sent his statement of resignation the Lousiana's Secretary of State. According to MSNBC, it was short and to-the-point, saying:

"I do hereby resign the office of Justice of the Peace for the Eighth Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, effective November 3, 2009."

The state's governor, Bobby Jindal who along with United States Senator Mary Landrieu had been calling for Bardwell's job, called the resignation "long overdue." The couple who first brought this situation to light, Beth Humphrey and her now husband (married by someone else), issued a statement through their attorney saying:

"We're saddened that it took national attention to this issue, which was decided back in 1967 by the Supreme Court, and also that it took public admonishment from other elected leaders in order for him to resign."