Tag Archives: Montgomery County

ALABAMA: MSNBC Reports “Smooth And Peaceful Day” At State Capital

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PENNSYLVANIA: Suit Against Pro-Gay County Clerk Bruce Hanes To Be Dropped

Late last summer Montgomery County Clerk Bruce Hanes began issuing same-sex marriage licenses to Pennsylvania couples. A court soon ordered Hanes to cease and Gov. Tom Corbett waded into the fray by comparing Hanes’ action to allowing 12 year-old children to marry. Corbett apologized, but by then he had joined a lawsuit against Hanes brought by the Pennsylvania Department of …

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PA County Clerk Files Supreme Court Bid To Resume Granting Marriage Licenses

Montgomery County Clerk Bruce Hanes has petitioned the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for permission to resume granting same-sex marriage licenses. In September a state appellate court ordered Hanes to stop after he had issued 174 licenses to gay couples. Hanes says the court order forced him to violate his oath by complying with a law he regards as unconstitutional. He cites …

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PENNSYLVANIA: County Clerk Appeals Marriage Ruling To State Supreme Court

And now there’s another case heading to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. After mulling it over for nearly a month, the Montgomery County Register of Wills has filed his appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, asking for a reversal of the order handed down from commonwealth court barring him from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On Sept. 12, Commonwealth Court …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Rep. Steve McCarter Explains Plan For Marriage Equality Bill

McCarter is the bill’s chief co-sponsor with openly gay Rep. Brian Sims. Separate from the legislative action, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has hired an outside law firm to defend the state against a marriage equality suit filed in July by the ACLU.  And Montgomery County’s attorney is expected to appeal the decision forcing County Clerk Bruce Hanes to stop issuing …

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Are Those Pennsylvania Marriages Valid?

After a judge ordered Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County to cease issuing same-sex marriage licenses, many are wondering about the validity of the licenses already granted. Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes said Thursday he was disappointed but would comply with the decision by Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini. Hanes said he thinks the 174 licenses he handed out are …

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Brian Brown Cheers Pennsylvania

“This is a victory for marriage. We are pleased that Judge Pellegrini reiterated that Pennsylvania law expressly defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The people of Pennsylvania should be grateful to Governor Corbett for his leadership on this issue. As the chief executive of the state, he properly used his office to uphold the law …

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PA Judge Orders Montgomery County To Stop Issuing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Breaking news from ABC’s Philadelphia affiliate: A Pennsylvania judge is stopping a suburban Philadelphia court clerk from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying it was a clear violation of his legal authority. Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini on Thursday issued an order that said Montgomery County Register of Wills Bruce Hanes didn’t have the power to decide on his …

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Quote Of The Day – Bruce Hanes

“I don’t see myself as a crusader. Some people have said I’ve broken the law, which I may have done. But I’ve broken an unconstitutional law. It’s not about me. It’s a serious equal protection argument at stake here. I don’t want to speculate about the outcome of the case. But I firmly believe that I’m on the right side …

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PA Marriage Hearing Is Tomorrow

From the Associated Press: Wednesday’s hearing in Harrisburg pits Gov. Tom Corbett’s Health Department against D. Bruce Hanes, Montgomery County’s register of wills, who issues marriage licenses as part of his duties as clerk of the county orphan’s court. Hanes began giving marriage licenses to gay couples in late July, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out portions of …

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Lawyers For PA Gov. Tom Corbett Call Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Meaningless

Yesterday lawyers for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett filed a brief calling the marriage licenses issued by Montgomery County “meaningless” and compared them to allowing 12 year-old children to marry. Thirty-two of the couples have petitioned to intervene in the case, arguing that a ruling against Hanes could also invalidate their marriages. The state filed a brief Wednesday opposing the couples’ …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Court Defines Issues For Montgomery County Marriages Cases

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court has published five guidelines that define the issues to be decided in the lawsuit to stop Montgomery County from issuing same-sex marriage licenses. According to the court directive, the five main issues to be argued in the lawsuit include whether Commonwealth Court has jurisdiction, because Hanes might be considered a judicial officer, and whether the issuance of …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Gay Couples Seek To Intervene In Montgomery County Case

Last week Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett joined the state Health Department in filing suit against Montgomery County, demanding that Clerk Bruce Hanes cease issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Yesterday 31 gay couples, including some JMG readers, filed a motion to intervene and be named as parties in the case. Read the full filing. (Via JMG reader Jeffrey Becker, who …

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