Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
on Sunday denied a request by supporters of Proposition 8 to halt the
weddings of gay and lesbian couples taking place in California.
Attorneys filed the emergency motion on
Saturday after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday lifted a
stay on a lower court's ruling declaring Proposition 8
unconstitutional. The appeals court acted two days after the Supreme
Court ruled that interveners in the case did not have legal standing
to defend the law. Within hours of removing the hold, the two
couples who had in 2009 filed the case were married.
“Failing to correct the appellate
court's actions threatens to undermine the public's confidence in its
legal system,” lawyers for ProtectMarriage.com, the sponsors of
Proposition 8, said in their filing.
Lawyers argued that marriages should
not have been allowed to resume because the high court had yet to
issue its “final disposition” in the case. A case is finalized
25 days after it is rendered to allow time for an appeal.
According to ABC
News, Justice Kennedy has jurisdiction over the Ninth Circuit and
the authority to act alone in such matters.
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