US: North Carolina to drop opposition to same-sex marriage

Jul 28 2014
Written by Sara Sugar

In the wake of Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban being ruled as unconstitutional, North Carolina’s attorney general has said that prosecutors will not continue to defend his state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

After a ruling by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in regards to Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage, Attorney General Roy Cooper made an announcement that he felt North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage was “almost sure to be overturned.”

He said: “Simply put, it’s time to stop making arguments we will lose and instead move forward, knowing that the ultimate resolution will likely come from the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Earlier on Monday, an appeals court ruled that Virginia’s 2006 voter-approved laws barring same-sex marriage and denying recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states violate US constitutional rights.

The 2-1 decision came from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, which has jurisdiction over Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.