Republished December 19, 2014 - 4:47 PM
Original Publication Date December 19, 2014 - 4:05 PM
MIAMI - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday refused to block gay marriages in Florida, the latest of about three dozen states allowing same-sex weddings.
In a one-paragraph order, the court decided not to step into the Florida case. A federal judge previously declared Florida's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional but put his ruling on hold pending appeals. The judge had said the stay would be lifted after Jan. 5 unless the Supreme Court intervened.
Most federal judges and appeals courts have ruled against state bans, but the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has upheld the right of four states to decide whether to allow gay marriage.
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision does not mean the issue is legally settled in Florida.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has fought to uphold Florida's constitutional ban, which voters approved in 2008. She is pursuing appeals of decisions by state judges in four counties who have declared the same-sex ban unconstitutional. Those appeals can continue despite the Supreme Court's decision not to step into the case.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014