November 5, 2014
Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster released the following statement regarding today's ruling in State of Missouri v. Florida, Case No. 1422-CC09027, in the circuit court of the City of St. Louis:
“The circuit court of the City of St. Louis today ruled that Missouri's ban against same-sex marriage violates the equal protection and due process guarantees of the United States Constitution.
We have appealed the ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court. The constitutional challenge to Missouri's historically recognized right to define marriage must be presented to and resolved by the state's highest court.
Following decisions in Idaho and Alaska, the United States Supreme Court has refused to grant stays on identical facts. We will not seek a stay of this court’s order when the United States Supreme Court has ruled none should be granted."