Va. attorney general requests stay of marriage equality ruling

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, on Monday formally requested that the U.S. Supreme Court stay a lower court's ruling against the state's marriage equality ban. Herring, a supporter of marriage equality, asked for the stay to avoid "unintended negative consequences if the Court later rules against marriage equality" in the state, according to a statement. Many other LGBT advocates have pushed the court to allow the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling invalidating the ban to go into effect immediately. If the Supreme Court does not issue a stay of the ruling, same-sex marriages in Virginia could begin as early as Thursday.