Utah Needs Ten Extra Days To Figure Out Why Same-Sex Marriages Are Icky

One day after hiring out an outside law firm to represent the state, Utah today requested a ten-day extension of the deadline to file their marriage appeal with the Tenth Circuit Court.

The state asked for a 10-day extension of the Jan. 27 filing deadline set by the court to ensure it has adequate time to prepare a "fulsome, detailed and quality" brief on the significant constitutional questions the case raises. In its motion, the state said the case has implications not just for Utah but for all states and residents within the 10th Circuit’s jurisdiction — in particular Oklahoma, where a federal judge this week struck down an identical amendment — and even throughout the country. It said the move by the U.S. Supreme Court to grant "a relatively rare" stay of the Dec. 20 decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Utah signals the high court’s interest in the case and its desire that the appeal "be handled in an orderly way befitting the important issues being addressed."

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they will oppose the extension request.