Lawyers Ask Supreme Court to Allow Same-sex Unions

Lawyers for same-sex couples in Utah have filed court papers with the U.S. Supreme Court explaining why gay marriage should be allowed to continue.

Attorney Peggy Tomsic says the state's request for an emergency stay on same-sex unions should be denied because Utah has not demonstrated how the weddings are harming anyone else.

The 61-page filing came Friday ahead of a noon deadline set by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

State attorneys requested an immediate halt on the marriages this week, with attorneys saying the more than 900 gay marriages that have occurred since the surprise Dec. 20 ruling from a federal judge are an affront to the state's interests.

A federal judge and the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have already refused the state's request.