Pam Bondi Working Overtime to Stop Same-Sex Marriages in Florida

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has had her hands full lately: she's facing down eight different marriage equality lawsuits, and has been filing briefs at a furious pace to keep gay and lesbian couples from marrying in the Sunshine State.

So far, Bondi has managed to prevent licenses from being issued, but her other victories are few. In one case, a federal judge ruled against the state's marriage ban in August; in two other cases, state judges did the same in July. Another state judge ruled against the ban in August. Numerous other cases seeking the freedom to marry and recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states are pending.

For her part, Bondi asked the federal Eleventh Circuit last Friday to overturn her loss at the lower District Court.

"States have virtually exclusive authority to define and regulate marriage," she wrote. "No fundamental right is at issue here because same-sex marriage is not deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition."

On Monday, Bondi filed an appeal with the state's Third District Court of Appeal. Her filing there is almost identical to the federal appeal.

It's now up to the courts to decide whether to schedule hearings. Announcements about the next steps could come at any time.

Earlier this month, Bondi won re-election. She has since been appointed head of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Bondi has herself had been divorced twice, and engaged three times. She and her current partner traveled to the Cayman Islands in 2012, where The Tampa Bay Times reports a wedding did not take place, despite photos that appeared to suggest otherwise.