The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has just issued its own stay of a lower court ruling in the federal Proposition 8 case, meaning same-sex couples will not be able to legally marry in California until an appeal of the decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger is decided.
The news is a major setback for couples who were preparing to wed this Wednesday after 5 p.m., when U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker’s temporary stay was to expire.
Still, today’s order also put the appeal on something of a fast track, with initial briefs due in mid-September. Oral arguments are to be held the week of December 6 in San Francisco. The court also said Prop 8 proponents must explain why they have standing to appeal Walker’s decision.
