Federal Judge Says He'll Rule Against Ohio's Same-Sex Marriage Recognition Ban

Federal District Judge Timothy Black has announced that he will issue a ruling later this month striking down Ohio's same-sex marriage recognition ban.

Federal District Judge Timothy Black has announced that he will issue a ruling later this month striking down Ohio's same-sex marriage recognition ban. The decision comes after plaintiffs in a much narrower marriage recognition case amended a request to ask the judge to strike down the entire 2004 voter-approved ban. Black's decision, he told the court, will not allow gay couples to marry in the state. Instead, it will require the state to recognize legal, same-sex marriages performed in other states, the AP's clarified in its story on Black's intention.

According to WVXU, Black said in court that he would issue that ruling on April 14:

Update: Federal Judge Timothy Black says he will issue a ruling April 14 striking down Ohio's gay marriage ban passed by voters in 2004. Attorney Al Gerhardstein, representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit about birth certificates, amended his request to ask Black to declare all aspects of Ohio's gay marriage ban unconstitutional. In federal court Friday morning, the judge said he would do that.

Gerhardstein told WVXU  he didn't ask for gay couples to be allowed to marry in Ohio, just that the state recognize marriages from other states.

Civil rights attorneys were in court on Friday challenging the state ban, after the same federal judge issued a very narrow ruling requiring the state to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages on death certificates. The case in question originally sought recognition of both parents on birth certificates for the children of same-sex couples.

As the AP notes, Black's advance warning will give Ohio time to prepare and file an appeal to his decision immediately after it's issued.