WASHINGTON (AP) — Utah is asking the Supreme Court to stop same-sex marriages in the state, at least temporarily.
In papers filed Tuesday with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the state asked her to overturn court decisions to let the marriages go forward. Sotomayor handles emergency requests from Utah and other Rocky Mountain states. She can act by herself or get the rest of the court involved.
Federal appellate judges have so far refused to put U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby’s ruling on hold while the state appeals. Shelby ruled Dec. 20 that Utah’s ban violated gay couples’ right to equal treatment under the law. More than 900 gay couples in Utah have gotten marriage licenses since the December ruling overturning a voter-approved ban on gay marriages in 2004.
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