On Friday, January 23, 2015, Federal District Court Judge Callie Granade, ruled that Alabama's marriage laws prohibiting marriage of same-sex couples violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Judge Granade's order is immediate and applies statewide in Alabama. Absent a stay, Alabama Constitution Article I, 36.03 and Alabama Code 30-1-19, which prohibit same-sex marriage are no longer valid.

The Alabama Probate Judges Association is a private organization whose legal advice is non- binding. Simply put, the non-binding legal opinion of the Probate Association cannot and does not preempt a Federal Order. Probate judges should comply with their constitutional obligations as declared by a federal court rather than the desires of the leaders of a private professional organization.