October 22, 2013
West Virginia Clerk Seeks Delay in Gay Marriage Lawsuit
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
The clerk of West Virginia's biggest county says she needs more time to answer a lawsuit over the state's ban on same-sex marriages.
Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Charleston, asking the deadline for her response be extended past Wednesday.
The New York-based gay rights group Lambda Legal sued earlier this month, declaring West Virginia's Defense of Marriage Act a violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
It filed a similar lawsuit challenging Virginia's gay marriage ban in September.
McCormick says the case involves constitutional questions of widespread importance, and 21 days is not long enough for her to prepare.
She also says it's unfair to require a response before she knows whether the state Attorney General is going to intervene.
