The first brief in an appeal to a case
that struck down Utah's gay marriage ban is due by January 27.
In 2004, 65.8 percent of voters
approved Amendment 3, which prohibits the state from recognizing any
union other than a heterosexual marriage.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelby
earlier this month declared the amendment invalid, which led to a
rush of gay and lesbian couples marrying in Utah.
(Related: More
than 900 gay couples tie the knot in Utah.)
Utah officials appealed the ruling to
the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, which on
Monday ordered the state to file its opening brief by January 27.
Plaintiffs, 3 gay couples, have until February 18 to file a response.
The state must file any reply by February 25.
“Requests for extension of time are
very strongly discouraged and will be considered only under
extraordinary circumstances,” the
court wrote.
The compressed timetable could result
in a resolution to the appeal by late spring and could complicate the
state's pending request for a stay before the U.S. Supreme Court.
(Related: Utah
could ask Supreme Court to review gay marriage ruling.)
“What's another two months when
anybody who wanted to get married immediately probably already did
anyway?” appellate attorney Troy Booher told Deseret
News.