A federal judge in Cincinnati said Friday he would strike down Ohio's gay marriage recognition ban.

U.S. judge Timothy Black said he would rule the state's ban unconstitutional in a written decision on April 14, adding that the ban, which was implemented in 2004, violates couples' constitutional right to equal protection. If the ban is upheld, Ohio will recognize gay marriages that took place in other states. However, Cincinnati television station WLWT reports that Ohio won't be required to allow same-sex marriages to take place within the state.

The ruling will follow a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of Ohio's ban, but state attorneys will have time to appeal the decision; there's a 10-day waiting period between the announcement and the official declaration. Ohio attorneys argued that the state should have sole discretion over its definition of marriage.

The ruling comes on the heels of a similar decision made by a federal judge on March 18 that legalized gay marriages in Michigan. Though some couples got married the next day, same-sex marriages in Michigan have been put on hold while the decision is appealed.

The Ohio decision is the latest in a legal trend sweeping the nation. Since the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013, laws that define marriage as between a man and woman have been erased in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma and Utah. So far, 18 states allow same-sex couples to marry within their borders, and several others recognize gay marriages that have taken place elsewhere.

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