Judge rejects bid to appeal Pa. gay-marriage ruling

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal judge who overturned Pennsylvania’s law barring the recognition of same-sex marriage is rejecting a bid by a county official from eastern Pennsylvania to appeal it.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III issued his decision today on the request by Schuylkill County Orphans Court Clerk Theresa Santai-Gaffney.

Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration was defending the law, but declined to appeal Judge Jones’ decision May 20 to strike down the 1996 law.

Santai-Gaffney had asked the judge to put his decision on hold and to allow her to step in to the case to appeal it to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania was the last northeastern state to bar gay marriage. Same-sex marriage is now legal in the state of nearly 13 million.