Tag Archives: ACLU

Via press release: The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky today filed a lawsuit on behalf of four Rowan County couples, two same-gender couples and two opposite-gender couples, denied marriage licenses by County Clerk Kim Davis. Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued a sweeping and historic decision that affords gay and lesbian couples the legal right to marry, Ms. Davis …

Clip recap: “In 1970, the ACLU filed the first freedom-to-marry lawsuit in the United States. We are now at the Supreme Court to fight to win the freedom to marry for couples in all 50 states. As we get closer than ever before to the freedom to marry for all, let’s take a walk down memory lane. Thank you to …

As the date for oral arguments before SCOTUS draws closer, LGBT groups have been jockeying for position. Chris Geidner reports on yesterday’s developments at Buzzfeed: Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the six cases out of four states before the Supreme Court asked the justices to split the April 28 arguments, which will include 90 minutes focused on whether states can …

“The number and rate of developments has been dizzying as officials came to different conclusions about their legal obligations and as parties tried to intervene in the initial cases and bring other officials under the Court’s injunction. The Court should not further undermine the relationship between the state and federal courts by granting Plaintiffs leave to drastically change the nature …

Via press release: A group of leading national civil rights organizations today filed a motion requesting a federal district court to expand a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage and to order all county probate judges in the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The joint motion was filed by the Americans United for Separation of Church …

Two weeks ago the Arkansas legislature approved a bill that would ban any municipality from enacting LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances. Without a veto from Gov. Asa Hutchinson, that law goes into effect tomorrow. Yesterday Lambda Legal, the ACLU, GLAD, and the NCLR issued a last-minute plea to Hutchinson. SB 202 was passed to thwart cities like Fayetteville and Eureka Springs that …

Last last night the Alabama Supreme Court agreed to consider the petition for a writ of mandamus filed on Wednesday by Liberty Counsel. In a 6-2 decision issued late Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court set up a schedule next week for the different sides to file their answers and briefs on the request by the Alabama Policy Institute and Alabama …

From the National Center for Lesbian Rights: Moments ago, United States District Judge Callie V. S. Granade granted the request of four Mobile County same-sex couples to add Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis as a defendant in a lawsuit in which Judge Granade previously struck down Alabama’s marriage equality ban as violating the federal Constitution. Judge Granade scheduled a …

Via the Lincoln Journal-Star: A federal judge on Tuesday denied the state’s motion to stay a lawsuit challenging Nebraska’s ban on same-sex marriages and set a Feb. 19 hearing on a motion that would force the state to allow them while the case is pending. “Let it suffice to say that the State defendants have not made a sufficient showing …

Freedom To Marry “The Supreme Court’s decision today begins what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide – and it’s time,” said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. “Freedom to Marry’s national strategy has been to build a critical mass of marriage states and critical mass of support for ending marriage discrimination, …

From the ACLU Of Florida: The American Civil Liberties Union filed a response at the United States Supreme Court today stating that the Court should reject Florida’s request for further extension of the stay placed on a federal court’s decision that struck down Florida’s ban on allowing and recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples. The response argued that Florida families …

On December 5th the Eleventh Circuit Court denied Bondi’s demand for an indefinite stay on same-sex marriages while they consider her appeal. That stay is due to dissolve on January 5th and today Bondi filed the same stay extension demand with SCOTUS. Justice Clarence Thomas has jurisdiction over the Eleventh Circuit. UPDATE: Here’s the demand.

Via the Pioneer Press: The legal team that successfully fought to overturn Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex marriage is asking a federal court to award it nearly $1.25 million to cover attorney fees and costs associated with the case. The legal team, headed by the ACLU, sued in February to overturn a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on behalf of …

The plaintiffs in one of Missouri’s marriage equality cases have filed their notice of a cross-appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court. On Friday the state filed their notice. The initial stayed ruling on the ACLU’s case came on November 7th, at which time Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster promised to appeal. That stay was due to expire today if no …

The stay expires on December 9th and no appeal has yet been filed. However Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster declared on the day of the ruling that he will appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court. Marriage licenses continue to be issued in St. Louis only and they are valid statewide. (Via Equality Case Files)

Via the Wichita Eagle: The lawyer who successfully sued to overturn Kansas’ ban on same-sex marriage in federal court now plans to amend the lawsuit in order to force state agencies to grant marriage benefits to same-sex couples. Same-sex couples in Kansas can get marriage licenses from Sedgwick and other counties and use those licenses to marry anywhere in the …

The stay on the ruling that overturned Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage is due to expire on January 5th.  Late Friday night, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi appealed that ruling to the Eleventh Circuit in the first marriage case to reach that court. Today Bondi filed an additional motion, asking the Eleventh Circuit to extend the lower court’s stay while …

Lambda Legal and the ACLU are first in the coming wave of demands that SCOTUS review last week’s ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court.  From their Ohio petition: These cases are about love, from birth to death. The relationships at the heart of each case involve the love spouses share, with each other and with the children they jointly raise, …

From the Clarion-Ledger: If U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves doesn’t grant the preliminary injunction sought against Mississippi’s gay marriage ban, it will surprise most of the people in his courtroom on Wednesday. Reeves grilled the state’s defense of its gay marriage ban on almost every issue raised during the roughly five hours of arguments presented in a hearing for …

UPDATE: Equality Case Files has the motion.