In May, a federal judge ordered Utah to recognize hundreds of gay marriages performed in December and January. This week, the state said it won't accept the ruling without a fight.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Attorney General Sean Reyes filed notice in federal court on Wednesday that the state would appeal U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball's ruling validating more than 1,200 same-sex marriages, Fox 13 reports.

John Mejia of the ACLU of Utah and an attorney for the four same-sex couples who are suing the state told the Salt Lake Tribune that Wednesday's filing "smacks of a delay tactic."

"We had hoped that [the state] would stop on their unprecedented and ill-advised campaign, which we believe is a big waste of taxpayer dollars, to fight recognition of these marriages," Mejia told the newspaper. "It’s really causing a lot of disruption and interruption in the lives of real, married couples and their families."