Fresno County clerk seeks guidance after gay-marriage ruling

From the Fresno Bee:

Fresno County Clerk Victor Salazar said this morning he has asked the county counsel for direction in light of the state Supreme Court's ruling today throwing out a state ban on gay marriage.

"What we will be focused on is whether or not there is an appeal period provided. Usually, the ruling does not go into effect until the expiration of an appeal period," Salazar said.

Geoff Twitchell and Clark Willits, with a copy of the state Supreme Court's ruling in hand, were an application away from getting married this morning.

Within minutes of the high court's decision, the two men were at the Fresno County Clerk's office asking to fill out a marriage application.

"We don't want to be seen differently through the eyes of the law," Twitchell said. "The bottom line is that this is an issue of fairness and equality."

Twitchell and Parnell have been together for 15 years and they had a ceremony in front of a minister, family and friends 10 years ago in San Diego. They are adopting a 4-month-old boy.

Willits said there are unanswered questions surrounding the court's ruling, among them: Would they have to first terminate their domestic partnership filing before they could obtain a marriage license? But it could take another month or so to sort out this and other questions, Willits said.

Salazar anticipates the ruling could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"What is crucial is the exact language in the ruling and whether or not there will be a stay based upon the appeals process."

Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Fresno said in a statement that he was "very disappointed" by the ruling.

"Fortunately, more than 1 million Californians have signed ballot petitions to place a constitutional amendment before the voters this November that will write into the state Constitution that marriage should be between one man and one woman. I am confident that the people of California will again overwhelmingly vote to preserve and protect traditional marriage."

Original story can be found here:  http://www.fresnobee.com/updates/photo/story/603865.html