Pa. judge orders clerk to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Marriage licenses will no longer be given out to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania, a state judge has ruled, putting into limbo the legal status of more than 100 couples who married recently despite a long-standing ban on same-sex marriage in the state.

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ordered Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes on Thursday to stop issuing the licenses, which 174 couples received since July 31.

Judge Pellegrini ruled that Mr. Hanes did not have the power to violate the state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, which has been in place since 1996. Pennsylvania is one of 37 states that ban, or do not recognize same-sex marriage.

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