The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday
ordered Boulder County to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay and
lesbian couples as the state purses an appeal.
Republican Attorney General John
Suthers turned to the state's highest court after being turned down
for a stay from lower courts.
Boulder County Clerk Hillary Hall began
issuing the licenses after the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in
Denver upheld a lower court's ruling striking down Utah's
constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual unions.
The federal appeals court's
jurisdiction includes Colorado and Hall cited the ruling in
explaining her actions. Suthers disagreed, saying the ban was still
in effect. County clerks in Denver and Pueblo followed Hall's lead
but Suthers shut them down.
Hall, who had issued 202 such licenses
as of Tuesday, said she was disappointed but would comply with the
order.
“I am disappointed by the Colorado
Supreme Court's stay, but I will comply with the order,” she said
in a statement. “Given the avalanche of recent cases determining
that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional, I am hopeful the
stay will be short-lived and that we will be able to resume issuing
licenses soon.”
In recent weeks, state and federal
judges have struck down Colorado's ban as unconstitutional.
(Related: Colorado
AG John Suthers appeals gay marriage ruling.)