News (USA)

Wis. AG asks federal appeals court to halt same-sex marriages

MADISON, Wis. -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked a federal appeals court to halt same-sex marriages in Wisconsin after a judge declared the state's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional. The Republican Van Hollen filed the motion Monday in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
By · Updated on July 12, 2014
Wis. AG asks federal appeals court to halt same-sex marriages
Mel Freitag, left, and Amber Sowards, of Madison, Wis., get married by Daniel Floeter, family court commissioner, outside the City-County Building on Friday, June 6, 2014, in Madison after a federal judge struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Sowards, who is six months pregnant, has been with Freitag for six years.
Mel Freitag, left, and Amber Sowards, of Madison, Wis., get married by Daniel Floeter, family court commissioner, outside the City-County Building on Friday, June 6, 2014, in Madison after a federal judge struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Sowards, who is six months pregnant, has been with Freitag for six years. Amber Arnold, Wisconsin State Journal (AP)

Updated: 9:45 a.m. CDT

MADISON, Wis. — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked a federal appeals court to halt same-sex marriages in Wisconsin after a judge declared the state’s ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional.

The Republican Van Hollen filed the motion Monday in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb struck down the state’s ban on Friday, but her ruling caused confusion because she didn’t specifically tell county and state officials whether they could issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Clerks in Madison and Milwaukee immediately began issuing licenses.

Crabb has scheduled a Monday afternoon hearing to consider Van Hollen’s request late Friday to put her decision on hold and stop clerks from issuing licenses.

He filed a similar request Monday in federal appeals court.

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