Jim Urquhart / Reuters
On Monday, Alabama U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade refused to stay her orders to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Mobile County Probate Court Judge Don Davis challenged her prior ruling that Alabama’s ban on gay marriages was unconstitutional and argued he was in an “unprecedented” battle between federal and state law. However, in her five-page ruling, Granade said Davis must begin issuing marriage licenses. She also referenced her prior decisions on same-sex marriage, noting the “inability to exercise their fundamental right to marry has caused them irreparable harm that outweighs any injury to (the) defendant.” Earlier this month, the Alabama Supreme Court ordered probate judges not to issue licenses to same-sex couples, but Granade appears to have overruled that mandate.