Travis County, Texas Probate Judge Guy Herman has struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, The Austin Statesman reports:
Herman ruled as part of an estate fight in which Austin resident Sonemaly Phrasavath sought to have her eight-year relationship to Stella Powell deemed to have been a common-law marriage. Powell died last summer of colon cancer.
A call is out to Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir to determine her plans in light of the ruling. DeBeauvoir has said in the past that she is ready to begin distributing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as soon as allowed by the courts.
DeBeauvoir had also told Towleroad she was willing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, according to reporter Chuck Lindell, Travis County will not be issuing marriage licenses to LGBT couples just yet:
Travis County will NOT issue same-sex marriage licenses today. Clerk says she is scrambling to meet with lawyers, but no for now.
— Chuck Lindell (@chucklindell) February 17, 2015
"Right now, I think it’s no, but we are checking," Travis Clerk Dana Debeauvoir says of same-sex marriage licenses.
— Chuck Lindell (@chucklindell) February 17, 2015
Texas' marriage ban was previously struck down by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, though that decision was stayed until the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals could weigh in on the subject as it is considering a similar challenge to the ban.
Developing…
