DC Court To Hear Marriage Appeal

Today Washington DC’s Court of Appeals will hear a challenge to marriage equality brought by Bishop Harry Jackson.

In January, a D.C. Superior Court judge threw out a lawsuit by a Maryland pastor who wanted to put a measure on the D.C. ballot to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Bishop Harry Jackson sued after the Board of Elections and Ethics refused to approve the ballot initiative, saying it would violate the city’s Human Rights Act. The judge said the city was right. Tuesday’s appeals court hearing will be before the full court. It’s rare for all of the judges to hear a case before it has been heard by a three-judge appeals panel, particularly when the lawyers in the case didn’t request the en banc hearing.

NOM is holding a rally outside the courthouse today in support of the suit. We should know something by about 2PM DC-time.