UTAH: ACLU Seeks Plaintiffs For Marriage Recognition Lawsuit Against State

Talking Points Memo has the story.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah announced Thursday that it is planning litigation against the state of Utah for putting recognition of same-sex marriages on hold after the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay. The ACLU called for plaintiffs on Wednesday, and got "overwhelming interest" from couples who were married before the stay was granted. "We have a great pool and we are working through that, and plan to bring litigation that will protect all marriages, whether the couples are named plaintiffs or not," the ACLU said in a statement. In a letter to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes on Wednesday, ACLU of Utah legal director John Mejia called on the state to recognize the same-sex marriages performed before the stay. "In short, these marriages are valid and have vested the married couples with rights that the state and federal governments must recognize. Utah and the federal government should thus accord same-sex couples who married in Utah all of the same protections and obligations that married couples of the opposite sex receive," he wrote. "When these couples married, they immediately obtained all of the same protections and obligations enjoyed by all of the other married couples in Utah."

(Tipped by JMG reader Dwight)