Utah Supreme Court Sanctions Adoption by Same-Sex Spouses
The Utah Supreme Court on Thursday lifted an order that had blocked spouses in same-sex marriages from adopting their partners’ children, state officials said.
The state’s highest court had imposed a stay on the adoptions in May, while Utah appealed a federal ruling last year that permitted same-sex marriages for 17 days before the Supreme Court halted them pending appeal.
Earlier this month, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied appeals of same-sex marriage bans and an appeals court reaffirmed its order making same-sex marriage legal in the state, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes ordered county clerks to recognize all legally performed same-sex marriages.
On the same day, Reyes petitioned the state Supreme Court to remove its stay of the adoptions, saying the issue was now moot.
Missy Larsen, a spokeswoman for Reyes, said the high court’s action on Thursday came in response to that petition.
Editing by Peter Cooney
