On Tuesday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state of Kansas' request to convene the full court to hear its appeal of U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree's order that the state allow same-sex marriages.
The latest procedural development from the federal appeals court in the case has little practical effect because the U.S. Supreme Court has already refused an emergency request to block Crabtree's order. It means that a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit will hear arguments over the preliminary injunction issued in the Kansas case.
The U.S. Supreme Court is also soon expected to resolve the question of whether state marriage laws excluding same-sex couples are unconstitutional.
