Mich. Lawyers Disagree Over Gay Marriage Appeal Path

Attorneys who persuaded a judge to overturn Michigan's ban on gay marriage are opposing the state's request to have an entire appeals court take the case.

They want the case to move quickly, but they say the Cincinnati-based court should stick to its practice of assigning cases to a three-judge panel.

A Detroit federal judge in March threw out Michigan's ban on gay marriage. Attorney General Bill Schuette believes the entire 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should handle the appeal to save time and money.

But it's rare for the whole appeals court to take any case.

More than 300 same-sex couples were married a day after the gay marriage ban was overturned by Judge Bernard Friedman. The appeals court subsequently suspended Friedman's decision during the appeal process.