Same-Sex Marriages In Michigan Halted, As Stay Of Judgement Granted By Court Of Appeals
LANSING (WWJ) - Same-sex marriage in Michigan is on hold for now, a day after a federal judge ruled a ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay until Wednesday at the request of State Attorney General, Bill Schuette.
"No more marriages, please," is the interpretation of the stay granted by the court of appeals.
The court will review the decision by U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman made Friday in Detroit federal court after a rare two-week trial that mostly focused on the impact of same-sex parenting on children.
Friedman declared that the same-sex marriage ban violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. [READ RULING]
WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports that the court of appeals will take the time to decide whether or not they will review the decision - determining whether it is legal or it is not.
This creates a lot of legal questions said WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick, but now with the court stepping in and the stay in place, a decision is expected as soon as Monday morning.
Clerks around the state will not be granting marriage licenses for gays until the court of appeals making a ruling one way or the other.
About 300 people were married between the time the decision was handed down by the federal court in Detroit and the stay was granted by the court of appeals Saturday afternoon.