Utah Supreme Court halts same-sex adoption cases

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Supreme Court has ordered a temporary halt of several district judges’ orders requiring the Utah Department of Health to issue birth certificates in same-sex parent adoptions.

The stay was granted Friday night in response to a Utah Attorney General’s Office request for clarity on whether the department can issue the birth certificates if directed by court order.

The attorney general’s office praised the decision, saying the stay will remain in effect until the issue has been resolved by the court. The court has not yet announced a date for oral arguments.

The attorney general’s office says the stay appears to apply to a district judge’s order requiring Attorney General Sean Reyes and two top health officials to explain the state’s refusal to recognize a same-sex couple’s adoption.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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