News (USA)

County official asks judge to allow her to appeal Pa. gay marriage ruling

County official asks judge to allow her to appeal Pa. gay marriage ruling

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A county official from eastern Pennsylvania is asking a federal judge to allow her to appeal his decision to overturn Pennsylvania’s law barring the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Theresa Santai-Gaffney
Theresa Santai-Gaffney Republican-Herald

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III on Wednesday gave the plaintiffs’ lawyers until the end of the week to respond to the bid by Schuylkill County Orphans Court Clerk Theresa Santai-Gaffney.

Santai-Gaffney wants Jones to put his decision on hold and to allow her to step in to the case to appeal it to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.

Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration was defending the law, but declined to appeal Jones’ May 20 decision to strike it down.

Pennsylvania was the last northeastern state to bar gay marriage.

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