Story highlights Lawyers: Court shouldn't have lifted a stay on same-sex marriages in California

They ask for "an immediate order" vacating that decision, after which weddings resumed

A gay rights spokesman says the appeals court's actions were "entirely proper"

U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for the appeals court's move with a ruling Wednesday

Lawyers for groups opposed to same-sex marriage in California petitioned to reverse a federal appeals court order that OK'd the resumption of such unions -- doing so a day after that ruling.

Attorneys applied Saturday to the U.S. Supreme Court for "an immediate order vacating" a decision Friday by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to copies of the document from ProtectMarriage.com and the Alliance Defending Freedom . That appeals court Friday lifted a previous injunction on same-sex marriages in California, "effective immediately."

"Without the immediate relief requested by this Application, the Ninth Circuit will circumvent the proper rules and procedures established by this Court," the application says.

Those on the other side of the debate, meanwhile, think the appeals court acted appropriately.

"The Ninth Circuit had broad discretion as to whether to stay the injunction pending appeal," said Manny Rivera, a spokesman for the American Foundation for Equal Rights . "Now that the Supreme Court has decided that the injunction against Proposition 8 must stand, it was entirely appropriate for the Ninth Circuit to dissolve its stay of that injunction."

California's Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriag e in May 2008, ruling that the state's constitution gives "this basic civil right to (marry to) all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples."

Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Julia Tate, left, kisses her wife, Lisa McMillin, in Nashville, Tennessee, after the reading the results of the Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage on Wednesday, June 26. The high court struck down key parts of the Defense of Marriage Act and cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California by rejecting an appeal on the state's Proposition 8 Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Jeff Zarrillo, center, and Paul Katami, right, plaintiffs in the California case against Proposition 8, wipe away tears after departing the Supreme Court in Washington. Katami proposed to Zarrillo on national news after the ruling. Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – The New Yorker's next issue features artwork by Jack Hunter in reaction to the Supreme Court's rulings. Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Erin Raskauskas Jr. shows off the autograph he got from attorney David Boies on a copy of the Proposition 8 ruling outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Same-sex marriage proponent Ryan Clarke reads news updates on the rulings outside of the Supreme Court. Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – With the Capitol in the background, the Gay Men's Choir of Washington performs outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. Hide Caption 6 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Richelle Spanover, right, celebrates at the Stonewall Inn in New York after the Supreme Court rulings. The Stonewall riots in 1969 sparked the modern gay rights movement. Hide Caption 7 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Chris Roe, left, and Roby Chavez celebrate while holding their soon-to-be-adopted children as the ruling is announced in San Francisco. Hide Caption 8 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Defense of Marriage Act plaintiff Edith Windsor speaks at a press conference at the LGBT Center in New York after hearing the Supreme Court rulings. Hide Caption 9 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Donna Red Wing, executive director of One Iowa, reacts to the Supreme Court rulings from Des Moines, Iowa. Hide Caption 10 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, second from left, and Phyllis Lyon, center, celebrate at the mayor's office in San Francisco. Hide Caption 11 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – John Lewis, left, gets a kiss from his partner Stuart Gaffney at City Hall in San Francisco. Hide Caption 12 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – A crowd of people outside the Supreme Court in Washington react to the rulings. Hide Caption 13 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Supporters of same-sex marriage cheer at City Hall in San Francisco. Hide Caption 14 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – People in the crowd embrace outside the Supreme Court in Washington. Hide Caption 15 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Sue Rochman, center, and Robin Romdalvik celebrate with their son, Maddox Rochman-Romdalvik, at City Hall in San Francisco. Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a rally in San Francisco after the Supreme Court decisions were announced. Hide Caption 17 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Patrons of the Stonewall Inn in New York gather to hear the Supreme Court rulings. Hide Caption 18 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Therese Stewart, the lead attorney on the Proposition 8 case in California, speaks at City Hall in San Francisco after the Supreme Court paved the way for same-sex marriage in the state. Hide Caption 19 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – A couple celebrates at City Hall in San Francisco. Hide Caption 20 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – Michael Knaapen, left, and his husband, John Becker, react to the rulings in Washington. Hide Caption 21 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – American University students Sharon Burk, left, and Molly Wagner embrace outside the Supreme Court. Hide Caption 22 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – A couple celebrates at City Hall in San Francisco after hearing the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act. Hide Caption 23 of 24 Photos: Photos: Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings Reaction to same-sex marriage rulings – A gay rights supporter waves a flag outside City Hall in San Francisco ahead of the Supreme Court decisions on June 26. Hide Caption 24 of 24

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But months later, 52% of voters backed Proposition 8 to once again restrict marriages so that they can only be between a man and a woman.

The measure put gay and lesbian marriages on hold, though lawsuits followed.

State officials declined to stand behind Proposition 8 -- and, thus, its prohibition on gay marriage -- though private parties did step in and offer to do so.

A federal appeals court later ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional, though it still issued a stay on same-sex marriages until the U.S. Supreme Court could weigh in.

That happened in a 5-4 decision Wednesday, when the high court dismissed an appeal of that federal court ruling on jurisdictional grounds. That meant Friday's news -- the resumption of same-sex marriages in California -- was expected, even though it wasn't known when it would happen.

ProtectMarriage.com and Alliance Defending Freedom say it shouldn't have happened then, at the least.

In their emergency application, affiliated lawyers claimed the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals "lacked jurisdiction to issue its order purporting to dissolve the stay." They reasoned that this appeals court wasn't authorized to weigh in until the Supreme Court "sends a certified copy of the judgment to the Ninth Circuit."

Among other arguments, the application also stated that "permitting the Ninth Circuit to prematurely dissolve its stay order would effectively deprive petitioners of a meaningful opportunity to exercise their right to petition for rehearing."

Such petitions for the Supreme Court to reconsider a case must be filed within 25 days after a ruling has been made.

It's unclear if and/or when the high court might consider this request. Justices recently began a recess after issuing a number of pivotal rulings last week.

And there's no immediate indication it will have any impact on same-sex weddings taking place around California. Gov. Jerry Brown issued a directive on Friday telling authorities in "58 California counties that same-sex marriage is now legal in California and that marriage licenses must be issued to same-sex couples immediately."