US: Judge declines to speed up proceedings in Wisconsin gay marriage lawsuit

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A federal judge has refused to speed up the proceedings of a case challenging the state of Wisconsin’s same-sex marriage ban.

District Judge Barbara Crabb on Wednesday declined a request by the American Civil LIberties Union (ACLU), which brought the case.

She said she wanted to stick to the schedule as it is, which allows Attorney General JB Van Hollen until Thurday to file an appeal against a stay being lifted, and gay and lesbian couples being allowed to marry there.

The ACLU, and others, had accused Van Hollen of using stalling tactics to put of a ruling in favour of same-sex couples.

The Attorney General then has until 21 July to appeal against Judge Crabb’s ruling to strike down the same-sex marriage ban. His office said it would file by the deadline, but would not be rushed.