"The practical effect of imposing the stay until at least December is to give the 9th Circuit an opportunity to review more carefully whether the proponents have standing to bring an appeal," adds UC Berkeley School of Law professor Joan Hollinger.

"The court wants to hear whether or not the proponents have a big enough horse in the race," says Daria Roithmayr, a professor at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law. "If they can't show why they have standing, the appeal is over and the trial court decision stands. If the Ninth Circuit rules they do have standing, then the case begins its ascent up the chain to the US Supreme Court."