On Wednesday, the Eleventh Circuit announced that rulings in two same-sex marriage cases in Alabama must be stayed until the US Supreme Court takes final action on the issue – reversing a ruling by a three-judge panel on Tuesday.
In an unusual reversal, a federal appeals court announced on Wednesday that rulings in two same-sex marriage cases in Alabama must be stayed until final action by the US Supreme Court on the gay marriage issue.
The move came one day after a three-judge panel of the Eleventh US Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta refused to block a federal judge’s rulings that same-sex marriages must be allowed begin to take place in Alabama starting next Monday.
The reversal means that same-sex couples in Alabama hoping to marry next week are now going to have to wait until the Supreme Court issues its decision.
The three-judge panel rejected a request by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to stay the judge’s rulings until after the US Supreme Court is able to take up and decide cases presenting the same constitutional issues. The high court is expected to hear arguments in four consolidated cases in April and issue a decision by late June.
The appeals court panel did not explain on Tuesday why it was rejecting the attorney general’s request for a stay. And the Eleventh Circuit’s order issued on Wednesday offered no explanation of why the earlier decision was being reversed.
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