Supreme Court to begin deliberating same-sex marriage license case Monday morning

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court announced today that it will begin deliberating at 8 a.m. Monday, November 17, the original mandamus action filed with the court on the topic of same-sex marriage licenses.

The court will release its decision as soon as it is able to following deliberations.

On October 10, Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus against a Johnson County District Court judge who issued an administrative order directing the court clerk in the 10th judicial district to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Schmidt’s petition asked the court to stop Johnson County District Court from issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

The matter was scheduled for hearing on November 6. On November 5, the Supreme Court cancelled the November 6 hearing and issued an Order to Show Cause. The order continued an earlier stay of the Johnson County District Court judge’s administrative order and instructed the parties to show cause by 5 p.m. November 14 why the stay should – or should not – remain in effect pending resolution of a separate case filed in federal district court that challenged Kansas’ laws prohibiting same-sex marriage.

The parties were also ordered to show cause why the Kansas Supreme Court’s consideration of the mandamus action should – or should not – be stayed pending final resolution of the federal case.