(KCPW News) The U.S. Supreme Court has put a halt to gay marriages in Utah while a federal court in Denver considers an appeal to the ruling that made them legal.
The Court voted to accept the state’s application for a stay of a recent ruling by a U.S. District Court judge. The stay will remain in effect while the state attempts to appeal the decision, meaning no further marriage licenses will be issued to same-sex couples pending a decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes says his office is already preparing their opening brief for the appeals court.
“The state’s opening brief is due January 27th before the 10th Circuit,” Reyes said. “And we have been working, by the way, with the legal team on the other side on an expedited briefing schedule, and we hope that that cooperation will continue, and we appreciate their professionalism.”
When asked about the hundreds of same-sex couples who managed to obtain a marriage license before the stay was granted, Reyes had no firm answer on how they would be handled by the state in the meantime.
“Going forward, I can say that we feel we’re on solid ground because the stay is in place. With regard to those marriages that have taken place before this day, we have not had a chance to evaluate and make a final conclusion on that,” Reyes said.
Reyes went on to say that the state had hoped to avoid such confusion when it asked the District Court for a stay back when the ruling was handed down in December. That request was denied, along with a subsequent request for a stay to the appeals court.
The legal team representing the plaintiffs called the Supreme Court’s order for a stay “disappointing.” Noting that the order was temporary, attorney James Magleby said in a statement, “Every day that goes by, same-sex couples and their children are being harmed by not being able to marry and be treated equally.”
Governor Gary Herbert called the Supreme Court’s decision “correct.” In his statement on Monday, Herbert said, “I firmly believe this is a state-rights issue and I will work to defend the position of the people of Utah and our State Constitution.”
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1 Comments
Through a name change from “civil union” to “same-sex marriage”, Progressives have attempted to change the longstanding, traditional, Biblical, and international definition of marriage. They are trying to convince us that a union between a man and a woman (marriage) can also be between same-sex couples. For them to claim that both are “marriage” is an oxymoron. That’s like having an over-inflated flat tire. Why should decaying morals and a “politically correct” name change justify the judiciary to overturn long established marriage laws?
Federal Judge Robert Shelby from Utah has now ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry under the 14th Amendment’s provisions of equal protection under the law. A judge does not have the authority to redefine, add to, or change a law in an attempt to make it fair. Was it “fair” for the judge to intrude on the “separation of Church and State” by redefining the Biblical definition of marriage? Will this ruling, if it stands, force churches to perform same-sex unions?
Marriage laws do not apply to same-sex couples because they do not meet the requisite standards written in the law. They do not qualify as being “a man and a woman”; therefore the standard for the law to apply to them has not been met.
Judge Shelby should be impeached for abusing his power. He ignored Section 5 of the 14th Amendment when making his decision. His judgment overruled the people’s 1st Amendment religion rights and the states’ 10th Amendment rights. According to this judge’s concept of equal protection under the law, fathers and mothers will be allowed to marry their sons, daughters, and family pets.