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William769

(55,124 posts)
Fri May 16, 2014, 06:21 PM May 2014

BREAKING: Ark. Supreme Court Halts Marriage Equality

Source: The Advocate

After a tumultuous week where marriage equality was embraced in fits and starts throughout Arkansas, the state's Supreme Court has placed a stay on a lower judge's ruling that invalidated the existing bans on same-sex marriage, according to the Arkansas Times.

Handed down at 4:30 p.m. local time, the court's ruling essentially restores existing state law, which defines marriage solely as the union of a man or a woman. The one-sentence order granting the state's request for a stay, joined by four counties seeking clarity, does not appear to address the legal status of the estimated 500 marriages that have taken place between same-sex couples in Arkansas since state district judge Chris Piazza delivered his initial ruling Friday.

Piazza's May 9 ruling struck down the state's constitutional and statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriage. However, several county clerks argued that the local ruling did not apply to their counties, noting that Piazza's ruling left intact another state law that prohibited county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On Thursday, Piazza issued a clarified order, striking down that errant law and confirming that he did, indeed, intend to invalidate all existing state laws that limited marriage to opposite-sex couples. Still, county clerks were hesitant, with Pulaski County being the only district to resume issuing licenses to couples regardless of gender Thursday afternoon.

Now that the Supreme Court has granted the stay, it will consider the state's appeal of Piazza's ruling, though it did not announce a schedule for when those arguments would be heard. The Arkansas Times notes that:


Read more: http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2014/05/16/ark-supreme-court-halts-marriage-equality



One day yes, one day no, one day yes, one day no. What a fucking circus!
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BREAKING: Ark. Supreme Court Halts Marriage Equality (Original Post) William769 May 2014 OP
When do you suppose we will see marriage equality settled once and for all? LeftofObama May 2014 #1
When one of the many and I do mean many cases gets to S.C.O.T.U.S. William769 May 2014 #4
I think 5 years... awoke_in_2003 May 2014 #17
This is so maddening. GentryDixon May 2014 #2
Thanks for your support. William769 May 2014 #5
same-family marriage, however, is still legal. Ken Burch May 2014 #3
LMAO iandhr May 2014 #6
Glad to see you two find this amusing. William769 May 2014 #8
One of the hundreds of couples who wed before Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a stop. William769 May 2014 #7
What a sweet family photograph William. sheshe2 May 2014 #11
I am getting really disgusted over all this. William769 May 2014 #13
The path to equality is unfortunately a slow one. iandhr May 2014 #9
And it's endlessly amazing , how many in this country want to move backwards SoapBox May 2014 #12
Cowards warrior1 May 2014 #10
. . . Le Taz Hot May 2014 #14
Politics over justice. I have no doubt that someone with power and money made this happen. tofuandbeer May 2014 #15
Gay = stay. blkmusclmachine May 2014 #16
Rec for exposure... awoke_in_2003 May 2014 #18
They can halt it and appeal it... Cannikin May 2014 #19
Congratulations! What a wonderful picture of you two! csziggy May 2014 #21
The stay isn't surprising, but it isn't fair either davidpdx May 2014 #20
This is ridiculous! Its a foregone conclusion that marriage equality will shortly be law everywhere riderinthestorm May 2014 #22

LeftofObama

(4,243 posts)
1. When do you suppose we will see marriage equality settled once and for all?
Fri May 16, 2014, 06:31 PM
May 2014

This yes/no/let's wait and see/not yet/someday soon bull crap is really annoying!

William769

(55,124 posts)
4. When one of the many and I do mean many cases gets to S.C.O.T.U.S.
Fri May 16, 2014, 06:35 PM
May 2014

Until then, this is what we have to live with.

GentryDixon

(2,944 posts)
2. This is so maddening.
Fri May 16, 2014, 06:32 PM
May 2014

We are facing the same fight in Utah. Why can't these people just leave us to live our lives as we see fit? I am a straight woman, married to the same man for almost 45 years, but I grieve for my brothers & sisters in this fight.

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)
12. And it's endlessly amazing , how many in this country want to move backwards
Fri May 16, 2014, 06:57 PM
May 2014

permanently.

So...the fight for fairness never ends.

tofuandbeer

(1,314 posts)
15. Politics over justice. I have no doubt that someone with power and money made this happen.
Fri May 16, 2014, 08:59 PM
May 2014

At 4:30pm on a Friday? What a joke. Bastards.

 

awoke_in_2003

(34,582 posts)
18. Rec for exposure...
Fri May 16, 2014, 09:35 PM
May 2014

I think this is a temporary set back (I hope I'm right). Momentum is building in the positive direction. Keep up the fight and know us straight (but not narrow) folks are right there with you.

Cannikin

(8,359 posts)
19. They can halt it and appeal it...
Sat May 17, 2014, 12:43 AM
May 2014

But they'll never take our day away from us. I will keep fighting to make sure other couples get to have the same experience my new husband and I got to share on Monday.



davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
20. The stay isn't surprising, but it isn't fair either
Sat May 17, 2014, 08:40 AM
May 2014

I'd almost taken as a given that when a court overturns a law like this it probably is going to be stayed.

Eventually some of these cases are going to have to go before SCOTUS. Maybe SCOTUS won't chicken out in their decision next time around and half do their job. Granted the ruling was good news for California, but had it been a broader ruling it could have helped so many other states.

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
22. This is ridiculous! Its a foregone conclusion that marriage equality will shortly be law everywhere
Sat May 17, 2014, 11:55 AM
May 2014

These delays are maddening and so unnecessary!

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