Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor blocks Kansas gay marriage
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oct. 10, 2014: Kelli, left, and Angela pose for a picture after their wedding ceremony at the Johnson County Court House in Olathe, Kan. (AP)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has issued an order blocking gay marriage in Kansas.
Sotomayor's brief order Monday puts on hold indefinitely a lower-court order clearing the way for same-sex couples to marry despite a ban in Kansas on gay marriage. The lower-court order was set to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Sotomayor acted at the request of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. He wants Kansas to be allowed to continue enforcing its gay-marriage ban while legal challenges are reviewed by the courts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree issued an injunction against the state's gay-marriage ban in a federal lawsuit filed by two lesbian couples.
A federal appeals court rejected Schmidt's request to put Crabtree's order on hold indefinitely. Schmidt turned to Sotomayor and she responded quickly.