A federal appeals court on June 27 issued an order putting a halt to gay marriages in Indiana. The ruling came just two days after U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young handed down a decision that said the state's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller appealed Young's ruling June 27 in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago after his request for a stay on the original decision was not immediately granted, Indy Star reported.
"Without a stay, any same-sex marriages granted now might have their legal validity questioned later if the United States Supreme Court eventually were to rule in favor of states in upcoming legal challenges to marriage laws," wrote Zoeller in the appeal filing.
County clerks in all but seven Indiana counties made marriage licenses available to same-sex couples following the ruling, and about 1,500 couples took advantage of the two-day window before Zoeller could complete the appeal. Marion County, where Indianapolis is located, reportedly issued more than 500 licenses.
Both sides must have briefs submitted to the Court by Sept. 19, but a decision will likely not be handed down for several weeks or even months after that.
Indy Star's article is at: http://indy.st/1qkif2g.
From a news release
( Indianapolis, IN — June 27, 2014 ) — Friday evening June 27, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller's emergency motion to stay the freedom to marry for all Hoosiers achieved through Lambda Legal's victories in Baskin v. Bogan and two other lawsuits.
Lambda Legal National Marriage Project Director Camilla Taylor issued the following statement:
"For now, same-sex couples are once again denied the freedom to marry in Indiana. The emergency order issued by the appeals court not only puts on hold the continued issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but it also prevents continued recognition of the marriage of Niki Quasney and Amy Sandler, who were granted emergency relief early in the case because Niki is battling Stage IV ovarian cancer.
"Niki, Amy, and their two toddler-aged daughters need respect as a legal family during this agonizingly difficult time. It is wrong to block the marriages of all couples and it's a shameful display of cruelty towards a Niki and Amy and their two children whose marriage is vital as they battle an aggressive cancer and fight to be together. Lambda Legal will do everything in our power to win marriage for all Hoosiers. Greg Zoeller will not have the last word, justice will."
