Same-sex weddings took place on Monday in several counties in Alabama, after the Supreme Court rejected the state's request for a stay. Some of the counties in Alabama, however, refused to issue any marriage licenses.
The federal court of Alabama struck down the ban on gay marriage back in January. Republican attorney general Luther Strange requested a stay on the overturn of the ban until an appeal could be made, but the Supreme Court denied his request. Despite the high courts decision to make Alabama the 37th state to legalize gay marriage, 50 of 67 counties in Alabama showed resistance to the court decision. Some of the counties allegedly refused to issue gay marriage licenses, while others refused to issue marriage licenses at all.
Chief Justice of Alabama's Supreme Court, Roy S. Moore, reportedly ordered the probate judges on Sunday to refrain from issuing marriage licenses to same-couples. "Effective immediately, no probate judge of the State of Alabama nor any agent or employee of any Alabama probate judge shall issue or recognize a marriage license that is inconsistent," Chief Justice Moore wrote to the judges.
Back in 2003, Chief Justice Moore was removed from the high court after he refused to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Judicial Building. Though he was removed from office, the Justice regained political prominence and once again became Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court in 2013. Moore argues that the state probate judges are not bound by "any ruling of the Federal District Court."
Though the majority of Justices of the Supreme Court voted against a delay of the Alabama federal court's decision, Justices Scalia and Thomas were in favor of the stay. Some believe that the High Court's decision to reject the stay is indicative of the decision to be made regarding the constitutionality of same-sex marriage for the whole nation, which will be decided later this year.
