The U.S. Supreme Court has granted Utah a stay of a lower court’s ruling that would have required the state to recognize same-sex marriages performed during a period when they were legal.
With the Supreme Court’s stay, the more than one thousand same-sex couples who got married in December and January will continue waiting to see if they’ll be able to receive the same benefits as other married couples.
In a statement Utah Governor Gary Herbert says he believes the court made the correct decision in issuing the stay and that ultimately the broader issue of gay marriage should be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union, who are fighting this case, say they are disappointed but are confident that at the end of the appeals process they will prevail.
The case will now go before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.