Arkansas Supreme Court won't stay gay-marriage ruling

[TexasTowelie]

Source: Dallas Morning News

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Supreme Court has rejected the state attorney general’s request for a stay of a judge’s ruling that overturned Arkansas’ constitutional ban on gay marriage.

The court on Wednesday turned down the request from Attorney General Dustin McDaniel that would have halted the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses.

But the court also gave no direction to counties about what they should do, saying the circuit judge’s ruling had no effect on a state law barring clerks from issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Two counties had been issuing licenses despite that prohibition. Pulaski County said it would continue to do so.

The attorney general’s office said it would appeal the judge’s decision at the appropriate time.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20140514-arkansas-supreme-court-won-t-stay-gay-marriage-ruling.ece

[William769]

1. Down the rabbit hole once again.

As a LGBT person I for the life of can't figure out what I can and cannot do in some States. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.

[randys1]

2. Good, amazing the amount of work a rightwing asshole

will go to so as to deny someone their rights, but ask them to work on jobs or climate

and you would think you asked them for a loan

[m-lekktor]

3. excellent!

more good news!

[Cannikin]

4. There's a "but", I'm afraid...

UPDATE: While the Arkansas Supreme Court denied the stay regarding the same-sex marriage ruling, it pointed to a previous statute that banned county clerks from issuing same-sex marriage licenses that Judge Piazza didn't rule on. For that reason, Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crain believes he CAN NOT issue same-sex marriage licenses in the morning.

[TrogL]

5. I'm hopelessly confused

I'm going to parse this backwards.

There's a ban on gay marriage.
A judge overruled it.
The attorney general asked for a stay (presumably on the judge overrulling it).
The Supreme Court denied the stay on overruling the ban, meaning gay marriage proceeds.

Have I got that straight? (Pun intended)

[Swede Atlanta]

6. I did not read the judge's ruling nor am I familiar with the Arkansas judicial structure...

If the judge's ruling was narrow, i.e. only with respect to these plaintiffs, I would have thought the county clerks would have picked up on that or the county attorney would have and would have given them some guidance.

No one reporting on this has mentioned a limitation in the judge's ruling to the specific plaintiffs in the case so one would expect the ruling would apply broadly, i.e. the prohibition is unconstitutional as to all similarly-situated Arkansas residents.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

I am going to assume the AG has appealed the judge's decision to the Arkansas Court of Appeals. So this may take a while to move through the higher state courts. I would expect if the plaintiffs lose in the state court system they will move onto the federal system.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. If an amendment to the state constitution is 'illegal' than how can a

law that enforces that amendment be constitutional?