Attorneys seek ruling in Cook County gay marriage case

Attorneys for 25 gay couples plan to ask a Cook County judge to make a quick ruling in favor of gay marriage in Illinois.

Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois plan to file a motion for summary judgment Wednesday in Cook County circuit court.

The 25 couples were denied marriage licenses in Cook County. Their lawsuit was filed last year and challenges a state law that defines marriage as between a man and woman.

Lambda Legal attorney Camilla Taylor says the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down part of a federal law denying benefits to married gay couples creates a new urgency for a decision in Illinois.

Illinois has civil unions, but without marriage, couples in those civil unions can still be denied federal benefits.