LITTLE ROCK — A federal appeals court says it has received payment from the Arkansas attorney general's office one day after it threatened to dismiss the state's attempt to restore a gay marriage ban because of an outstanding $505 docketing fee.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals notified the state Jan. 7 that the money was due last Wednesday. The appeals court said Monday that Arkansas has two weeks to demonstrate why its appeal shouldn't be dropped.
A spokesman for new Attorney General Leslie Rutledge blamed clerical errors that happened before she took office. He said the late payment doesn't put the appeal at risk.
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker tossed a voter-approved same-sex marriage ban and a similar state law in November. She put her decision on hold pending the appeal.