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A ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in north
Florida in August threw out the state ban, but stayed the effect
of his order.
A ruling by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta on
Dec. 3 opened the possibility of statewide marriages to start
Jan. 6.
In a statement, Bondi's office said she asked the Supreme Court
to intervene to keep the stay so as to "maintain uniformity and
order throughout Florida until final resolution of the numerous
challenges to the voter-approved constitutional amendment on
marriage."
Kansas and South Carolina recently lost petitions in the
nation's highest court, defending their state bans on same-sex
unions.
Attorney Daniel Tilley, representing the American Civil
Liberties Union, said it was "unsurprising" that Bondi and
Governor Rick Scott would keep fighting the issue.
"Since October, the Supreme Court has refused all requests to
stay rulings striking down the exclusion of same-sex couples
from marriage in other states," Tilley said in a statement.
"We are hopeful they will do the same here, so that loving
couples and their children can get the protections for which
they have waited so long."
(Editing by David Adams and Clarence Fernandez)
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