Alaska News

After Supreme Court ruling, Alaska officially drops case challenging same-sex marriage

The state of Alaska's appeal of a court case that struck down a state ban on same-sex marriage is officially over.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday accepted a joint notice to dismiss the case. The notice was filed by both the Alaska Department of Law and attorney Allison Mendel, who represented the five couples who filed suit against the state in May 2014.

The notice ends the ongoing appeal of the decision that legalized same-sex marriage in Alaska. In October, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess ruled Alaska's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Marriages proceeded, though the state continued to challenge the ruling.

The appeal was suspended in January when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a series of marriage equality cases. With the high court's ruling Friday legalizing same-sex marriage across the country, the Alaska Department of Law said it would likely drop its appeal and marriages would continue as usual.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

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