U.S. Court of Appeals stikes down Wisconsin gay marriage ban

By: CBS58 Staff

Posted: Sep 4, 2014 5:16 PM CDT | Updated: Nov 5, 2014 3:35 PM CDT

WISCONSIN -- The Seventh District U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled both the Wisconsin and Indiana gay marriage ban unconstitutional.

The three judge panel who ruled on this said, \"Indiana and Wisconsin have given us no reason to think they have a reasonable basis forbidding same-sex marriage.\" In their decision the judges noted more than a reasonable basis was required for this case.

This ruling is the result of an appeal of filed by Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen when U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb struck down Wisconsin's gay marriage ban. The June 6 ruling sent hundreds of gay couples to the courthouse to officlally get married. Several county courthouses stayed open late to process all the marriages.

In 2006, Wisconsin voters approved a gay marriage ban defining marriage only to be legal between a man and a woman. Since then several same sex couples have filed lawsuits challenging the law. This ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals is the second federal decision striking down the law.

Wisconsin State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen plans to appeal this decision. Van Hollen believes this is a case that will ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court.

According to Van Hollen's office, the stay on same sex marriages in Wisconsin will remain in effect until all appeals have concluded.