In five days, same-sex couples in California can legally get married again. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker lifted a temporary stay that now allows same-sex marriages to resume on Wednesday at 5 p.m. (Pacific Time), unless a higher court intervenes. Last week, Walker struck down California’s Proposition 8, finding it unconstitutional, but ordered the ban to temporarily remain intact until he heard arguments.
During this time, Prop. 8 sponsors can appeal Walker’s ruling to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, reports the Los Angeles Times, which could issue its own stay and stop marriage licenses from being issued.
The nation is watching closely as this case unfolds because the decision could place same-sex unions on equal footing with conventional marriages.
