Two more Colorado counties joined Boulder County on Thursday in issuing marriage licenses for gay couples after a judge ruled in favor of Clerk Hillary Hall who has continued to do so since an appellate court ruling.
Denver and Pueblo County clerks began offering marriage licenses for same-sex couples, following in the footsteps of Hall, who District Court Judge Andrew Harman, ruled in favor of after state Attorney General John Suthers sought an injunction.
"It is paramount that we have statewide uniformity on this issue and avoid the confusion caused by differing county-by-county interpretations of whether same-sex marriage is currently recognized," said Suthers in a statement, the Los Angeles Times reports. "Therefore, we will act swiftly in an attempt to prevent a legal patchwork quilt from forming."
The attorney general revealed that he will go before the state's Supreme Court to appeal recent rulings against the state over gay marriage.
While Harman couldn't find merit with the state's arguments against Hall, he did add some temporary measures to the ruling. He said that while higher courts continue to debate gay marriage, all license seekers must be informed about a question of validity in the licenses.
The second issue requires the county clerk to report all licenses to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Welfare, Center for Health and Environmental Information and Services and the Boulder County Vital Records Office.
Hall began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples after the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed a federal judge's ruling striking down gay marriage in Utah, since their decisions also cover six other states.
"His opinion was very well-reasoned and we can easily accommodate working with the state to track these licenses," Hall said after Thursday's ruling. "This is a victory for all loving couples wishing to marry."