Court rejects bid to appeal Pa.’s gay-marriage ruling

A federal appeals court has rejected a county official’s bid to appeal a ruling that overturned Pennsylvania’s gay marriage ban.

The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied Schuylkill County Orphans Court Clerk Theresa Santai-Gaffney’s request to intervene in the case.

She said she plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III struck down the marriage ban on May 20. Pennsylvania was the last northeastern state to ban same-sex marriage.

Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration had been defending the law, but declined to appeal Jones’ decision.