US: Supreme Court Justice to decide Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban stay

Attorneys representing two same-sex couples in Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban case have until Monday evening to respond to a request to stay the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts requested the response after attorneys representing a Virginia county clerk asked the Supreme Court to stay the July decision to strike down the ban.

Justice Roberts is expected to rule on whether to institute a stay once the response is received.

The request came after the appeals court refused to stay the ruling while it’s appealed to the high court.

Should Roberts reject to stay the decision, same-sex marriage would become legal in Virginia on Thursday morning.

The Supreme Court, however, has granted stays in the past in two similar cases.

A Virginia federal appeals court struck down the state’s same-sex marriage ban in late July. 

The Attorney General of Virginia asked the US Supreme Court to review that ruling on 9 August.