BREAKING: Arkansas Judge Rules That Marriage Ban Is Unconstitutional, Does NOT Issue Stay On His Decision

Via the Arkansas Times:

Circuit Judge Chris Piazza today invalidated the Arkansas ban on same-sex marriage and recognition of marriages legally entered by same-sex couples in other states. An appeal is expected. The judge did not stay his ruling, though the state probably can be expected to request a stay. The order came after county clerks ofices closed for the week. But they can expect a flood of applicants Monday morning. Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crane said he’d be ready with software to issue gender-netural marriage licenses Monday morning. The lawsuit challenged both the state constitution and statutory bans. Piazza’s 13-page ruling struck down both statute and constitutional ban. He noted that tradition wasn’t sufficient to continue a bar to interracial marriage.

Read the full ruling.

UPDATE: Freedom To Marry reacts.

“Today a state circuit judge in Arkansas ruled in favor of the freedom to marry, the latest in a unanimous wave of favorable rulings from more than a dozen state and federal judges across the country in recent months. Judge Piazza held that there is no good reason for discriminating against couples and their loved ones just because they are gay. With nearly 70 marriage cases now making their way through the courts, and five federal appellate courts now hearing arguments and soon to rule, today’s decision out of Arkansas underscores that all of America is ready for the freedom to marry.”