A federal judge says he will strike down part of Ohio's voter-approved ban on gay marriage, meaning the state must recognize marriages of gay couples who legally wed elsewhere.
Judge Timothy Black made the statement Friday following final arguments in a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the marriage ban.He says he'll issue the ruling April 14 ordering Ohio officials to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Black's ruling will not mean Ohio has to allow couples to marry there. Attorneys for the state had argued that it's Ohio's sole province to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
By announcing his intention ahead of his ruling, Black gives time for the state to prepare an appeal thatcan be filed as soon as he rules.
