In yet another turn from one of the most riveting legal cases in state history, the Supreme Court has granted Utah’s emergency request for a stay until an appeal is made. Until the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver makes a ruling on the appeal, same-sex marriage certificates will no longer be granted in Utah. It remains unclear if the 1,000 same-sex marriages that took place in the short period of time after the initial ruling will remain valid.
Attorney General Sean Reyes has brought in outside counsel to defend Utah constitutional amendment 3, which is rumored to cost nearly $2 million. Won by popular vote in 2004, the amendment defines marriage as strictly between a man and a woman. Although the 10th Circuit Court has rejected Utah’s request for a stay three times, Reyes believes this is a ‘state-rights’ issue that deserves to be resolved in court.
“This is concerning, politically. One judge’s decision bypassed a voter-approved amendment, so yes- Utah did the right thing by filing a request with the Supreme Court,” said junior, Taylor Williams. “Spending $2 million is toilet paper in retrospect to the money depleted in the political process.”
Same-sex couples in Utah who have been waiting for marriage licenses will have to continue waiting until the 10th Circuit Court makes a decision.
Photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu
Isn’t it the court’s job to determine if something is constitutional or not? If everything were determined by popular vote, then we would never have conquered the ban on interracial marriage or allowed women to vote. And think of minority groups? Is it fair to them if all our legislation is based on popular vote? There is much more to the process, as there should be, and I think the arguments shouldn’t be about whether the majority of Utah wants gay marriage so much as whether or not the majority should be allowed regulate that right for the few.