Florida asks Supreme Court to decide in gay marriage cases

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The US state of Florida has asked for no further rulings to be made on its same-sex marriage ban, until the US Supreme Court makes a broader decision.

Two motions were filed by the state’s Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday, requestion a freeze on appeals of cases concerning her state’s voter-approved same-sex marriage ban.

The ban was approved by voters in 2008.

Despite that four state courts have found Florida’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, no marriage licences are being issued to same-sex couples whilst appeals by Bondi are active.

Bondi argued that further state proceedings were a waste of resources, and that the Supreme Court should decide on the issue.

Earlier this week, a fourth Florida county judge found the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional.

South Florida Judge Diana Lewis only ruled regarding a specific probate case in which a Pennsylvania man, who died in March, left his estate to a man whom he married in Delaware.

A Florida Keys judge ruled in favour of same-sex marriage on 17 July.

A Miami-Dade County judge overturned Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage on 26 July.

A Broward County judge overturned the ban on Monday.

In late July, the 3rd District Court of Appeals refused to allow same-sex marriage licenses to be issued while state appeals are being processed.