U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker denied a motion to stay his landmark ruling last week overturning California’s anti-LGBT Proposition 8 as unconstitutional.
Bay Area Reporter’s Matthew S. Bajko reports:
The federal judge who ruled last week that California’s ban against same-sex marriage was unconstitutional lifted the stay of that decision Thursday, August 12. But he delayed allowing same-sex couples to once again begin marrying in the Golden State until August 18 at 5 p.m.
The decision allows time for opponents of same-sex marriage to ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal to re-impose the stay. The matter likely will land before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker issued his decision at 12:37 p.m. Thursday morning.
“Because proponents fail to satisfy any of the factors necessary to warrant a stay, the court denies a stay except for a limited time solely in order to permit the court of appeals to consider this issue in an orderly manner,” wrote Walker.