The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday evening denied Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request to Justice Clarence Thomas that he extend a stay preventing the state from recognizing the marriages of eight gay and lesbian couples.
“The application for stay presented to Justice Thomas and by him referred to the Court is denied”, the Supreme Court announced Friday night, allowing Florida to become the 36th state, plus the District of Columbia, to recognize same-sex marriage.
In a statement Friday night, Bondi conceded: “Tonight, the United States Supreme Court denied the State’s request for a stay in the case before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Regardless of the ruling, it has always been our goal to have uniformity throughout Florida until the final resolution of the numerous challenges to the voter-approved constitutional amendment on marriage. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court has now spoken, and the stay will end on Jan. 5”.
The case, however, isn’t over. Legal arguments haven't been heard before the 11th Circuit, which hasn’t ruled on the merits of the case.
Also still unresolved: whether clerks in the state’s 67 counties will adhere to the federal court ruling that declared Florida’s gay-marriage ban unconstitutional. The law firm representing the clerks’ association has warned them they could be in violation of Florida law if they issue same-sex marriage licenses before the U.S. Supreme Court settles the issue.
What was clear Friday night is that the Supreme Court refused to extend U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle’s stay allowing same-sex marriage to be recognized in Florida on Jan. 6.
It´s time Florida!
By Eddi Haskell:
ReplyDeleteMore information is coming.
Except for the City of Jacksonville, which is a city in very North Florida, most areas including Tampa, Orlando, Key West, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale will have gay marriage on January 6.
But since it is so complicated, we need for things to work out over the next two weeks or so.
This is typical.
SCOTUS did NOT say gay marriage is legal in Florida
What they did say is that they will not stop if from happening if ordered by a lower federal court. What they said last night is that they are not going to continue a stay until they rule. They have said this for the past several months.
So the lower courts and the state need to work things out. And most of the lower courts have ordered marriage equality.
SCOTUS has been saying this for the past several months, which has allowed all these states to have marriage equality.
SCOTUS may agree to hear a case soon, by the end of January, which will make marriage equality the law of all 50 states. If they agree to hear a case, we will have a ruling by the end of June. It will probably be Louisiana or Michigan. They will have to rule eventually since the lower courts are in conflict. There are 11 distict courts, and the 6th has said no, while most of the others have said yes.
Also the Attorney General of Florida, a conservative Republican lady, who is in charge of laws here, has said yesterday that she is no longer going to fight in the courts to stop this.
But for now this is very good news.
Thanks Eddi for all this information, it´s really a bit complicated, but a big step in any case
ReplyDeleteBy Xcept Atlas:
ReplyDeleteWow!
Although this post is 3 years old I want to point out that the first recognized same-sex weddings in Florida took place right after midnight on January 6, 2015 in the Palm Beach County Courthouse in Delray Beach Florida. You can see the video here. https://keymomentfilms.com/mass-same-sex-wedding-ceremony-in-delray-beach/
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