Judge Walker ordered the stay on same-sex marriages to be lifted on August 18th. Could an appeals court hear the case before then?

Judge Walker will issue his decision to stay the Prop. 8 ruling pending an appeal or to allow same sex couples to wed in California most likely starting today.

West Hollywood city clerk Tom West tells The Advocate that on Tuesday, members of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office will travel to West Hollywood to deputize the city’s council members so that they can officiate same-sex marriages.

Ted Olson, the conservative former Bush administration appointee, crossed the aisle to become one of the lead attorneys championing the fight for gay marriage in the recent Prop. 8 case. Watch his interview with Chris Wallace.

Walker himself hasn’t addressed the speculation, and he did not respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press on Thursday. Lawyers in the case, including those defending the ban, say the judge’s sexuality — gay or straight — was not an issue at trial, and they have no definitive plans for it to be a factor on appeal.

Rachel Maddow clarifies some of the highlights of the Prop.8 decision.