A Colorado county defiantly issued marriage licenses to gay couples on Thursday, emboldened by a landmark decision by a regional appeals court that found in favor of same-sex marriage in neighboring Utah, The Associated Press reported.
The move appeared to set up a showdown between the elected clerk of Boulder County and Colorado's Republican attorney general, who warned that such nuptials would be invalid in the absence of a final judicial resolution, the AP reported.
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver ruled on Wednesday that Utah cannot ban same-sex couples from marrying, pushing the issue of gay marriage a step nearer the U.S. Supreme Court, according to the AP.
The appeals court, whose decisions apply to six states including Colorado, put its ruling on hold anticipating an appeal, the AP reported. Yet within hours of the decision, the Boulder County clerk's office began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.
County Clerk Hillary Hall said she acted immediately because gay couples across the state had waited a long time to have civil authorities recognize their right to marry, and said she would not stop unless ordered by a court, according to the AP.
"Given the 10th Circuit's recent decision and the numerous other cases on this issue, I would be surprised if a judge in Colorado were willing to invalidate a marriage license simply because the parties to the marriage were the same sex," she said in a statement, the AP reported.
A clerk's office spokeswoman said two licenses were issued on Wednesday, a further 15 by midday Thursday, and that more would likely be given out during the day, according to the AP.
No other clerk's office within the jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit has announced plans to follow Boulder's move, although a clerk in Missouri issued four licenses on Wednesday in violation of a state ban, prompting a lawsuit from the state attorney general, the AP reported.
