Judge stays ruling that tossed Iowa's gay marriage ban, but 1 couple legally marries first

DES MOINES, Iowa — Two men were married outside a minister's home in the state's first legal same-sex wedding Friday morning, less than 24 hours after a judge threw out Iowa's ban on gay marriage and about two hours before the same judge put his ruling on hold.

It was a narrow window of opportunity.

About 20 gay couples had applied for marriage licenses by 11 a.m. when the Polk County Recorder announced that she had been instructed to stop accepting the applications.

Recorder Julie Haggerty said the instruction came from the county attorney's office after Polk County Judge Robert Hanson, the same judge who threw out the ban, verbally issued a stay of his ruling at the county's request. Hanson told The Associated Press about an hour and half later that he had filed the written ruling.