High court delays action on same-sex marriage cases

[morningfog]

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put off deciding whether to enter the legal fray over same-sex marriage - at least until Friday when it could agree to hear one of several pending appeals on the issue.
The court's nine justices met in private last Friday to consider whether to review challenges to the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to married same-sex couples, and to California's gay marriage ban, known as Proposition 8.

In an "orders list" issued early on Monday, the court made no mention of any of the same-sex marriage cases. Instead, it relisted those cases for further consideration at its weekly conference this Friday. The justices sometimes hold especially complex cases for a future conference if they want more time to consider a course of action.

The court could announce after its conference on Friday whether it will review one or more of the same-sex marriage appeals. The announcement could come on Friday or next Monday, or the court could again defer taking action.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/03/us-usa-court-gaymarriage-idUSBRE8AT09G20121203

[Drale]

1. I don't think they want to rule on it

Either way the Conservative judges lose, either the Left get ever angrier at them or their own people the repukes get angry at them.

[bluestate10]

2. My guess is that they will let the 9th Circuit ruling on Prop 8 stand and hear the challenges to

DOMA. The delay is likely to allow their clerks to study and list any entanglements between the two cases.