Federal Judge Strikes Down Kansas Ban on Gay Marriage Recognition

Ruling on hold until Nov. 11

As voters in Kansas went to the polls to vote whether to re-elect their statewide officials, as well as Sen. Pat Roberts, a federal judge threw another issue into the middle of the day with a ruling that the states' ban on same-sex couples' marriages is unconstitutional.

Weddings didn't start on Election Day, though, as U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree issued a temporary stay, putting the ruling on hold until 5 p.m. CST Nov. 11 — or at such time as the state officials inform the court that they will not be appealing the ruling.

The ruling in Kansas follows the Supreme Court's decision in October to let a lower court ruling stand from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that found Utah's similar ban to be unconstitutional. Because appeals from federal courts in Kansas are heard by the 10th Circuit, that ruling binds federal judges in Kansas.