Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Gay Marriage Cases from Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, and Indiana
The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected every petition it received relating to gay-marriage bans that have been struck down by the lower courts in Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Because the Supreme Court refused to hear any appeal, those lower court rulings will now go into effect. In short, gay marriage is legal and will likely commence soon in those five states. It also means there is no case currently on the Supreme Court's docket with the potential to legalize gay marriage nationwide.
During the March 2013 oral arguments over California's Prop. 8, Justice Anthony Kennedy described the legal battle over gay marriage as a conflict that asks the Court "to go into uncharted waters." Three months later, the Court stayed tied to the dock when it failed to rule on the merits in that case. In light of today's news, it seems Kennedy and his colleagues are still wary of setting sail.