Schuette Moves to Expedite Appeal Ruling of Michigan Marriage Amendment

On Friday, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced he had filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit that would bypass and initial panel hearing and instead hold a single "en banc" hearing before the full panel of 15 judges.

In a statement, Schuette said "the sooner we reach a final resolution form the courts, the better" and "advancing our case to a hearing before the entire panel of Sixth Circuit Court judges will move us forward more quickly, and minimize delays."

A hearing en banc involves presenting the case to the full court of the 6th Circuit for review, which is a step traditionally reserved for significant cases. The process is permitted when new decisions conflict with previous rulings and for questions of "exceptional importance."

On March 21st, Schuette filed an appeal with the court when a federal judge struck down the ban on same-sex marriage in Michigan.