Colorado Attorney General John Suthers
has appealed a federal judge's ruling striking down Colorado's ban on
gay marriage.
U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore on
Wednesday declared the ban invalid but stayed the ruling until
Monday, August 25.
(Related: Federal
judge says he's likely to invalidate Colorado's gay marriage ban.)
Suthers, a Republican, did not oppose
the injunction but asked Moore to delay implementation until the
Supreme Court has ruled in a separate case challenging Utah's ban.
Suthers' office filed a notice of
appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver shortly after
Moore handed down his ruling.
“We are gratified Judge Moore agreed
with us that additional litigation in that court would be wasteful
given that our laws' status will be decided by the Supreme Court's
decision in the Utah case,” Suthers said in a statement.
While the Utah case was the first
appealed to the Supreme Court, dozens of cases from across the
country are wending their way through federal courts. The high court
is not required to take any case.
The Tenth Circuit's decision in the
Utah case prompted plaintiffs – six gay and lesbian couples – to
challenge Colorado's ban.