A fourth state judge has declared
Florida's gay marriage ban invalid.
Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Diana
Lewis on Tuesday ordered the state to recognize the out-of-state
marriage of W. Jason Simpson.
Simpson married Frank Bangor, who owned
property in Florida, in Delaware.
Simpson asked Lewis to recognize the
marriage so he could be recognized as a personal representative of
his late husband's estate.
Lewis did not stay the ruling, but
according to Equality Florida, the state's largest LGBT rights
advocate, the ruling only applies to Simpson or these specific
circumstances. Therefore gay and lesbian couples in Palm Beach
County remain barred from seeking marriage licenses.
The decision comes a day after a
Broward County judge struck down the state's marriage ban.
Similar rulings have been issued in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
At least four additional cases are making their way through state and
federal courts.