Utah is going straight to the nation's highest court to challenge a federal appeals court's finding that gay couples have a constitutional right to marry, the state attorney general's office announced Wednesday. The decision to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court could set the stage for the justices to weigh in on gay marriage, but there is no guarantee they will agree to hear the case.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes' office said in a statement the appeal will be filed in the coming weeks, to get "clarity and resolution" from the highest court.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on June 25 upheld an earlier court's ruling that Utah's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, effectively allowing gay same-sex couples to marry there, but it put the order was put on hold until an appeal is resolved. More than 1,000 same-sex couple in Utah married between when the ban was struck down and when a stay was issued.
IN-DEPTH
- Is Supreme Court Ready to Tackle Gay Marriage Bans?
- U.S. Supreme Court Puts Temporary Hold on Utah Gay Marriages
- Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Utah's Same-Sex Marriage Ban
SOCIAL
