Appeals Court Rules Against Same-Sex Marriage Ban, State Can Appeal to Supreme Court - East Idaho News
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Appeals Court Rules Against Same-Sex Marriage Ban, State Can Appeal to Supreme Court

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Thinkstock 071114 Gavel?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1405127397443iStockphoto/Thinkstock(SALT LAKE CITY) — An appeals court ruled against Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage on Friday, giving the state 10 days to appeal to the United States Supreme Court before the current stay on same-sex marriage is lifted.

The court ruled on Friday that the state had not been able to demonstrate how allowing married same-sex couples to apply for spousal benefits would cause irreparable harm, the Salt Lake Tribune said. A stay had previously been put in place to allow for the appeals court to make a ruling and will expire on July 21.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the state Attorney General’s Office says it intends to file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Still, if the Supreme Court does not act to impose a stay in the lawsuit, same-sex couples married in Utah will be permitted to apply for in-state benefits. Over 1,000 couples married in Utah during a 17-day window when same-sex unions were legal, the Salt Lake Tribune reports, following the initial ruling against the ban on Dec. 20, 2013.





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