Judge Strikes All Arkansas Bans On Gay Marriage

Kristin Seaton, center, of Jacksonville, Ark., holds up her marriage license as she leaves the Carroll County Courthouse in Eureka Springs, Ark., with her partner, Jennifer Rambo, left, of Fort Smith, Ark. Saturday, ... Kristin Seaton, center, of Jacksonville, Ark., holds up her marriage license as she leaves the Carroll County Courthouse in Eureka Springs, Ark., with her partner, Jennifer Rambo, left, of Fort Smith, Ark. Saturday, May 10, 2014, in Eureka Springs, Ark. Rambo and Seaton were the first same-sex couple to be granted a marriage license in Eureka Springs after a judge overturned Ammendment 83, which banned same-sex marriage in the state of Arkansas. (AP Photo/Sarah Bentham) MORE LESS
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas judge has struck down all state laws preventing gay couples frommarrying, expanding on his order finding such bans unconstitutional.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza clarified his ruling on Thursday, a day after the state Supreme Court noted that a prohibition on county clerks issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples still stood. Piazza also denied the state’s motion to suspend his decision.

The high court ruling effectively halted gay marriages in the state, with the two counties that had been issuing licenses to same-sex couples saying they’d stop. Pulaski County, the state’s largest, said it planned to resume issuing the licenses after Piazza’s order.

Piazza had last week struck down a constitutional amendment and an earlier law banning same-sex marriage.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Notable Replies

  1. Judge Piazza: “Why yes! I can clarify it for you.”

    “Boom goes the dynamite!”

    Well done, Judge Piazza!

  2. …and in a related development, “from” was united with “marrying”…

  3. Judge Piazza: “What part of go fuck yourselves did you not understand?”

  4. These people must be afforded the right to marry.

    Fine. But we won’t issue them licenses.

    ORLY?

    (Sound of chainsaw revving)

    Yes, you will.

  5. The Arkansas Supreme Court told Piazza what he needed to do. Piazza picked up the ball and ran with it.

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