Prop 8 Watch: Today’s The Deadline For Rehearing Request

When the 9th Circuit panel ruled earlier this month to uphold a ruling to vacate California’s discriminatory Prop 8 initiative, the courts gave its supporters 14 days to ask for a rehearing.

So far there has been no indication whether or not the Prop 8 people will do so, but legal experts say they would be shocked to see that filing not take place sometime Tuesday.

Prop 8 Trial Tracker reports,”What that means is that the 9th Circuit’s stay on Judge Walker’s ruling striking down Proposition 8 will be lifted 7 days after tomorrow’s deadline (February 28), should the proponents choose not to file for rehearing.  If the proponents do file for a rehearing, the stay is automatically extended until that rehearing is either denied or it is accepted and then ruled on, both of which could take some time.”

If the deadline does pass without any action that doesn’t mean wedding bells will be ringing in California just yet…

“It’s important to note that it is only the 3-judge panel’s initial stay that will expire on the 28th.  Regardless of what they do tomorrow, the proponents have a full 90 days following the decision to seek Supreme Court review,” reports the website.

Prop 8 backers could also ask for an extension of the stay pending the Supreme Court review.

So when exactly will marriages resume in California? That’s still anybody’s guess but the action today could give us insight on how the proponents are going to proceed.