Alito denies Pa. clerk's bid to halt gay marriage

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Official photo.

Philadelphia (AP) — A U.S. Supreme Court justice has rejected a county official's bid to suspend a ruling that overturned Pennsylvania's gay marriage ban.

Justice Samuel Alito rejected an appeal by Schuylkill County Orphans' Court Clerk Theresa Santai-Gaffney's appeal without comment Wednesday. Santai-Gaffney can appeal to another justice.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Pennsylvania since U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III struck down a state ban on May 20.

Gov. Tom Corbett's administration declined to appeal Jones' decision, prompting Santai-Gaffney's attempt to intervene. Her efforts to suspend Jones' decision while she tries to achieve standing in the case were rebuffed by Jones and a federal appellate court.

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The Gayly – July 9, 2014 @ 5:40pm