Federal appeals court wants briefs in Wisconsin marriage case

Madison, Wis. (AP) — It looks like a federal appeals court won't rule on whether to halt gay marriages in Wisconsin until at least Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb struck down Wisconsin's gay marriage ban Friday in an American Civil Liberties lawsuit. She declared the ban unconstitutional but stopped short of ordering clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying she wants a draft ACLU order on how it wants the decision implemented. County clerks across the state have started issuing licenses anyway.

Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to halt the marriages while he appeals.

The appellate court on Monday gave the state and ACLU until 5 p.m. Wednesday to file briefs on whether the court has jurisdiction in the case.

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The Gayly – June 10, 2014 @ 10:35am