Utah To Appeal Same-Sex Marriage Recognition Ruling

Utah To Fight Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

In May, a federal judge ordered Utah to recognize hundreds of gay marriages performed in December and January. This week, the state said it won't accept the ruling without a fight.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Attorney General Sean Reyes filed notice in federal court on Wednesday that the state would appeal U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball's ruling validating more than 1,200 same-sex marriages, Fox 13 reports.

Kimball had ruled that the state must legally recognize the hundreds of same-sex marriages performed during a 17-day period beginning Dec. 20, 2013, when the state's ban on gay marriage was briefly overturned.

John Mejia of the ACLU of Utah and an attorney for the four same-sex couples who are suing the state told the Salt Lake Tribune that Wednesday's filing "smacks of a delay tactic."

"We had hoped that [the state] would stop on their unprecedented and ill-advised campaign, which we believe is a big waste of taxpayer dollars, to fight recognition of these marriages," Mejia told the newspaper. "It’s really causing a lot of disruption and interruption in the lives of real, married couples and their families."

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is currently reviewing the constitutionality of Utah's gay marriage ban. The Tribune reports that the court's ruling on the ban "is expected any day."

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