Federal Judge Strikes Down Ban On Same-Sex Marriage in Oregon,USA Monday May 19,2014

A federal judge threw out Oregon's same-sex marriage ban Monday May 19,2014, marking the 13th legal victory for gay marriage advocates since the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned part of a federal ban.

State officials earlier refused to defend Oregon's voter-approved ban and said they wouldn't appeal.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is one of 7 top state prosecutors who have refused to defend same-sex marriage bans in court.
 Attorney generals in Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Nevada and Kentucky, all Democrats, have made the same decision.

The National Organization for Marriage sought to intervene, but both U.S. District Judge Michael McShane in Eugene and a federal appeals court rejected its attempts to argue in favor of the ban

Many county clerks in the state began carrying out same-sex marriages almost immediately after Monday's ruling, as jubilant couples rushed to tie the knot

Burt Boehm, right, Richard Glenn, of Portland, celebrate their marriage at the Melody Ballroom, Monday, May 19, 2014, in Portland

Julia Fraser, left, and Jessica Rohrbacher get married by Holly Pruett at the Melody Ballroom in Portland on Monday May 19,2014 after a judge overruled Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage

Jeff Salchenberg (L) and Paul Reinwand (R) embrace after their wedding ceremony at the Melody Ballroom in Portland, Oregon May 19, 2014

HOW MANY STATES ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE?

Gay and lesbian couples can legally marry in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

The two most recent states to make the unions legal were New Mexico and Hawaii, both of which did so in late 2013. 

Oregon's ruling is not expected to be challenged, which would make it the 18th state where gay marriage is legal.

In 11 states, federal or state judges recently have overturned same-sex marriage bans or ordered states to recognize out-of-state marriages. Appeals courts are reviewing those decisions. Ten are in the hands of federal appeals courts, and one is with a state appeals court.

Federal or state judges in Idaho, Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan, Texas, Utah and Arkansas recently have found state same-sex marriage bans to be unconstitutional. 

Judges also have ordered Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. 

The New Mexico Supreme Court declared the state ban unconstitutional in a ruling that is not being challenged.

WHAT'S NEXT?

A ruling from a federal appeals court is expected soon, either from a panel in Denver reviewing rulings from Utah and Oklahoma or judges in Richmond, Virginia, reviewing Virginia's case.

 Many legal observers say they expect the U.S. Supreme Court to take a case at some point, but they acknowledge it's impossible to predict what the high court will do.

 The Supreme Court could also just wait and see how the nation's appellate courts rule. It often waits until there is a conflict between appellate courts before taking a case.