In a decision today, the U.S. Supreme Court halted gay marriage in Utah by granting a request from state officials.
Utah's application was filed with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency requests from Utah and the Rocky Mountain States. Monday's order from the Court was two only sentences long. This application went to the Supreme Court after a Dec. 20 decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby. Justice Sotomayor chose to refer the issue to the Supreme Court as a whole.
According to Reuters, this decision temporarily halts gay weddings in Utah while the case goes to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court has agreed to hear the case quickly, with February 25th as the final day for court papers to be filed.
The next move will happen in Denver, according to the Associated Press, where the appeals court will consider arguments against same-sex marriage as well as from the three gay and lesbian couples who challenged the ban in support of Shelby's ruling. The appeals court had twice answered the state's plea to stop same-sex marriages pending appeal.
