The Louisiana Justice of the Peace who refused to marry an interracial couple said he doesn’t see what the problem is with what he did now, because the couple is already married.

“I’m sorry, you know, that I offended the couple, but I did help them and tell them who to go to and to get married,” he said. “And they went and got married, and they should be happily married, and I don’t see what the problem is now.”

Keith Bardwell, a white justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish in southeastern Louisiana, wouldn’t issue a license to or preside over the nuptials for Beth Humphrey, who is white, and Terence McKay, of Hammond, La., who is black.

The two were later married by another area justice of the peace.

Bardwell, who’s held his post more than 30 years, said he refused to perform the ceremony because of his concern for the future of the couple’s children.

Bardwell said, “I’ve had countless numbers of people that was born in that situation, and that they claim that the blacks or the whites didn’t accept the children. And I didn’t want to put the children in that position.”

Bardwell wouldn’t issue them a marriage license. Humphrey says she initially spoke to Bardwell’s wife, who said her husband would not issue the license because they are an interracial couple.

Humphrey said, “I was just completely shocked. I had no words.”

McKay added, “He’s not going to marry us because your black, and I’m white. … It’s 2009.”

“The law says that I cannot deny mixed race marriages,” he said. “And that means prevent them from getting married. And I did not prevent them getting married.”

Humphrey and McKay are now mulling legal action against Bardwell.