Top state court says judges cannot issue same-sex marriage licenses until federal judge rules
After a U.S. Supreme Court refusal this week to hear appeals from several federal appellate-court rulings that approved same-sex marriage, some observers expected that other states in the same jurisdiction would soon allow same-sex couples to wed, too.
But, at the request of the state attorney general, the South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the state’s judges not to grant same-sex marriage licenses until a federal district court judge has ruled on the question, reports Reuters.
South Carolina is part of the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which OK’d same-sex marriage in Virginia in one of the cases the nation’s top court let stand earlier this week.
Charleston County Probate Judge Irvin Condon accepted 19 marriage license applications from same-sex couples on Wednesday and said he intends to continue doing so, the news agency reports.
However, he said Thursday he will not actually issue any licenses until the federal court has spoken.
Related coverage:
Associated Press’: “SC gay couple’s marriage license application approved”
