A U.S. District Court judge in Madison will not issue a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of Wisconsin’s prohibition of same-sex marriages, while a legal challenge to the ban is underway.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Judge Barbara Crabb cited rulings in similar lawsuits across the country in making her decision not to issue the injunction. Crabb also indicated that she will move quickly to decide the case – even if the American Civil Liberties Union declines her advice to withdraw its motion seeking the injunction.
Crabb said the plaintiffs should consider pursuing a “swift, final determination” in U.S. District Court “rather than litigating the case in multiple stages with no clear benefits to either side.” Crabb also noted that any preliminary injunction she might approve would be instantly challenged, likely leading to a stay of that injunction.
The ACLU of Wisconsin filed a federal lawsuit in February, on behalf of four same-sex couples who wish to marry in Wisconsin or are seeking recognition for their legal marriages which took place in other states.