Tag Archives: ACLU

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.

Read the ruling. UPDATE: Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is appealing to the Eighth Circuit Court.

Via press release from the ACLU: Today, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle denied a motion filed by the ACLU of Florida asking the court to quickly lift the stay that had been placed on the Court’s decision striking down Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, and denied a motion by the state to extend the stay until the appeals …

On October 10th, the ACLU filed a demand for the immediate lifting of the ban on same-sex marriages in Kansas, which is covered by the Tenth Circuit Court. Today a federal court set the hearing for that demand for this Friday at 10AM. Also on October 10th, the Kansas Supreme Court stopped the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses in that …

Via ACLU Montana: In one of the last remaining steps for Montana to become a marriage equality state, the ACLU of Montana today filed a motion for the U.S. District Court of Montana to rule in favor of four same-sex couples suing for marriage. “We don’t think there are any material facts in dispute, and so the case can be …

On Friday, the ACLU filed a demand for the immediate lifting of the ban on same-sex marriages in Kansas, which is covered by the Tenth Circuit Court. Of the six states under the jurisdiction of the Tenth, only Wyoming and Kansas continue to block gay marriages. Also on Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court stopped the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses …

Via Reuters: Five couples, one of which wants to marry in Alaska and four others who have already legally wed in other states, filed their suit challenging the ban in May. They sought a summary judgment in August, saying the state’s marriage bans violate due process and equal protection. “Alaska’s marriage bans infringe upon the fundamental right to marry and …

Fantastic.

Via press release: The decision by the Supreme Court not to hear arguments in the marriage cases before it is a huge win for all families across the nation, including in Florida. Because Judge Hinkle tied the stay in the ACLU’s case to the lifting of the stays in the very cases which the Supreme Court today refused to hear, …

The ACLU of Missouri writes on its Facebook page: “IT’S OFFICIAL! Judge J. Dale Youngs rules in landmark ACLU of Missouri case (Barrier v. Vasterling) that out-of-state same-sex marriages MUST be recognized in Missouri.” Here’s the ruling.