Get Me To The Clerk On Time?

Written by Bay City News

Bay Area county clerks' offices scrambled Friday to accommodate same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses after a federal appeals court lifted a stay and allowed the marriages to resume.

But backers of the ban on same-sex marriage filed an emergency petition Saturday afternoon asking the Supreme Court to stop the weddings, contending that the they still were within the 25 days allowed to request a rehearing.

San Francisco City Hall stayed open until 8 p.m. for anyone looking to obtain a marriage license, Mayor Ed Lee said. In face City Hall was open for a weekend of weddings throughout the weekend, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

But less than 24 hours after California started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the Alliance Defending Freedom filed the petition, contending the Ninth Circuit had taken the action even though the losing side has 25 days to file for a rehearing, according to the Associated Press. 

On Friday Kris Perry and Sandra Stier, plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Proposition 8, the state's ban on same-sex marriage, were the first pair to be married following the action by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

State Attorney General Kamala Harris married the couple in a ceremony at City Hall.

Elsewhere in the Bay Area, the San Mateo County Clerk's Office stayed open until 6 p.m. Friday, but as of 5 p.m. no one had come by for a same-sex marriage license, a clerk employee said.

The office is prepared for a flurry of appointments next week and is bringing in extra staff who are authorized to perform the ceremonies.

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder Regina Alcomendras said her office closed on schedule at 4:30 p.m. because no couples came in.

"We were trying to watch and see if there were any same-sex couples," Alcomendras said.

She said her office will make up to 27 windows available on Monday to issue wedding licenses.

"We're expecting a very busy day come Monday," she said.

Alameda County's clerk's office was staying open until 5:30 p.m. Friday, an hour later than usual, although no couples had come in as of about 4:30 p.m., said Assistant Clerk-Recorder Matthew Yankee.

In Sonoma County, Clerk-Recorder-Assessor Bill Rousseau said his office is gearing up to "hopefully start" Monday to perform marriages and issues licenses to same-sex couples.

No marriages were occurred Friday with the office closing at 5 p.m., but Rousseau said there have been "a lot of calls" this afternoon from people making wedding appointments for next week.

Weddings will start on Monday as well in Contra Costa County, which received more than a dozen calls asking when same-sex marriage licenses would be available before the office closed at 4:30 p.m. Friday, clerk-recorder services manager Frederick Garcia said.