Attorney General Peter K. Michael announced that the State of Wyoming will file notice with the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2014, that Wyoming will not seek appellate review of the Order issued by the Honorable Scott W. Skavdahl.
“Judge Skavdahl’s opinion and order make clear that the decisions in Utah and Oklahoma have left Wyoming with few legal options,” said Attorney General Peter K. Michael. “After reviewing the law and the Judge’s decision that binding precedent requires recognition of same-sex marriage, I have concluded that further legal process will result in delay but not a different result.”
Judge Skavdahl’s order will go into effect immediately after the State of Wyoming files tomorrow. The Laramie County Clerk will be required to provide marriage licenses to otherwise qualified individuals without regard to whether the applicants are a same-sex couple. The State of Wyoming must also recognize same-sex marriages entered into elsewhere under its laws, policies and practices. Although County Clerks in other Wyoming counties are not parties to the current litigation, the Attorney General’s office anticipates that marriage licenses will also be available to same-sex couples in these counties.
