TENNESSEE: Attorney General To File Appeal Of Marriage Recognition Ruling

The office of Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper today filed a notice of  appeal in last week's ruling that the state must recognize the out-of-state marriages of three gay couples. 

"We intend to take all necessary steps to defend the law. We have filed a motion for a stay and a notice of appeal," said Sharon Curtis-Flair, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office. The three couples, including Dr. Sophy Jesty and Dr. Valeria Tanco from Knoxville, sued the state last October saying their marriages should be valid in the state of Tennessee. The couples all formerly lived and married in other states and later moved to Tennessee to pursue careers and make new homes for their families.

Cooper also filed a demand that the court stay its ruling pending the decision of the Sixth Circuit Court. The recognition ruling only applies to the three couples who filed the suit.