A judge said Thursday that he will allow Boulder’s clerk to continue issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Update 12:58: Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall said in a press conference that she was happy with the judge's decision, and that
"They [same-sex marriage licenses] haven’t been ruled valid or invalid, it’s kind of a limbo situation at that point, so I’m not sure what that means. I know we can still continue to issue them, I know we have to identify them, that’s our part of the process at this point."
Our original post continues:
The judge rejected a request from Attorney General John Suthers to issue an injunction.
In his decision, Boulder District Court Judge Andrew Hartman wrote:
Also, while the people of Colorado deserve compliance with the rule of law, they have “a more profound long-term interest in upholding an individual's constitutional rights.” As such, the Court cannot find that the balance of the equities favors granting the State’s request for expedited relief.
Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall's office has issued more than 100 licenses to gay couples.
Hall says a ruling in June by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit striking down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage gave her the authority to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Utah has since said it will appeal their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The ruling comes on the heels of a decision by a District Court judge, who ruled that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. But Adams County District Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree also issued an immediate stay in the case.
That ruling could be appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court.
You can read Thursday's decision by Boulder District Court Judge Andrew Hartman below:
