Appeals court reinstates gay marriage ban
An appeals court reinstated Michigan’s ban on gay marriage Saturday, just a day after a district court judge ruled the law was unconstitutional.
More than 300 marriage licenses were issued to same-sex couples before the ban resumed on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit filed the order on Saturday that temporarily restores the state’s ban.
{mosads}Until at least Wednesday, the ban freezes the lower court’s decision to overturn the ban. The appeals court’s announcement came just hours after Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette requested a stay of proceedings.
The ban was the result of the Michigan Marriage Amendment approved by more than half of voters in a referendum in 2004. Same-sex marriages or civil unions could not be performed, according to the law.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman ruled on Friday that the ban was unconstitutional.
“After reviewing the evidence present at the trial, including the testimony of various expert witnesses, the exhibits, and stipulations, and after considering all of the legal issues involved, the Court concludes that the Michigan Marriage Amendment is unconstitutional and will enjoin its enforcement,” the judge concluded.
If the lower court’s ruling prevails, Michigan would be the 18th state, in addition to the District of Columbia, to legalize same-sex marriage.
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