North Carolina legislative leaders are giving formal notice that they will appeal a Greensboro federal judge's ruling that legalized same-sex marriages in the state.

The appeal comes at a time of mixed messages from courts around the country.

Attorneys hired by Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Thom Tillis say they're going ahead with an appeal regarding legal same-sex marriage in North Carolina. They said their decision was made earlier this year after state Attorney General Roy Cooper declared all potential legal defenses were exhausted.

The appeal's arguments will be released at a later date.

There have been a number of legal back and forth rulings on this issue.

The notice of appeal was filed Thursday, the same day a federal appeals court in Cincinnati upheld gay marriage bans in four Midwest states. That opens the door the U.S. Supreme Court could take up the issue.

Meanwhile a federal judge on Friday ruled that Missouri's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.

And a federal judge in Asheville also ruled the North Carolina gay marriage ban was unconstitutional and rejected a bid by Tillis and Berger to appeal that decision. 

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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