Tag Archives: lawsuits

MICHIGAN: ACLU Sues For Recognition Of Existing Same-Sex Marriages

Via press release: The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit today to guarantee that the marriages of 300 same-sex couples performed last month are recognized by the state. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight same-sex couples who were married after a federal judge struck down the state’s ban and before the Sixth …

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OHIO: Federal Judge Rules That State Must Recognize Out-Of-State Marriages
UPDATE: Ruling Is Stayed Pending Appeal

The expected ruling in Ohio was issued today. Via press release from Freedom To Marry: Today U.S. District Judge Timothy Black struck down part of a constitutional amendment in Ohio that denies gay couples the freedom to marry and withholds legal respect for gay couples who have gotten married. He ordered the state to treat couples married elsewhere like any …

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Seen In Utah

On Friday the Eagle Forum staged an anti-gay rally at the Utah statehouse where Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes was among the speakers. Above is one of the signs seen at the rally. (Via Good As You)

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Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip recap: A Republican icon comes out in support of marriage equality. We’ve had a sting of major marriage wins in the last few months, but now anti-gay groups will keep trying to tear those victories down in a series of hearings. Support for marriage equality is picking up in conservative states, a terminally ill woman in Indiana is one …

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Editorial Of The Day

From the Salt Lake Tribune: In rapid succession, the official Utah position on same-sex marriage has gone from mainstream conservative to merely retrograde to downright nasty. The arguments put forth Thursday by Utah’s hired legal eagles in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals will soon be brushed aside, if not by that tribunal, then by the U.S. Supreme Court, and …

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VIRGINIA: AG Mark Herring Files Brief In Support Of Gay Marriage Plaintiffs

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring today filed a brief with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of AFER’s marriage equality lawsuit. Herring’s brief argues that heightened scrutiny is applicable in the suit. Money quote below: Virginia’s same-sex-marriage ban violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Because the ban substantially interferes with the right …

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Full Utah Case Audio Has Been Posted

The full audio of today’s oral arguments in Utah’s appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court has been posted.  The full clip is just over one hour long. Dig in and post the bits that most interest you in the comments.

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Associated Press: Tenth Circuit Court Judges “Sharply Divided” On Utah Case

Via the Associated Press: A three-judge panel appeared sharply divided as they questioned attorneys Thursday at a hearing over whether to uphold a lower court’s ruling that struck down Utah’s ban on gay marriage. One of the judges, Carlos F. Lucero, compared the state’s argument that the ban should to the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Dred Scott decision that denied …

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Arguments Conclude In Utah Case, Tenth Circuit Court Judges Appear Split

Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson writes: “Today marked a new chapter in the campaign to win the freedom to marry. We now begin a wave of federal appellate arguments and rulings that set the stage for national resolution by the Supreme Court. Once again it became clear in the light of a courtroom that there is no good reason …

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INDIANA: Federal Court Orders State To Recognize Marriage Of Ill Woman

Today a federal court ordered Indiana to recognize the Massachusetts marriage of a terminally ill lesbian and her wife. Lambda Legal cheers via press release: Lambda Legal filed suit on behalf of Amy Sandler, Niki Quasney and their two children, seeking immediate relief from Indiana’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples as Ms. Quasney battles stage four cancer. Ms. Quasney …

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Activists Rally Ahead Of Tenth Circuit Court Hearing Of Utah Marriage Case

The AP reports on last night’s rally.

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Utah Files Last Minute Brief: Forget Everything We Said About Mark Regnerus

On the eve of oral arguments before the Tenth Circuit Court, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes filed a last minute brief that totally dismisses the state’s previous reliance on the work of discredited researcher Mark Regnerus. Utah files this supplemental letter in response to recent press reports and analysis of the study by Professor Mark Regnerus, which the State cited …

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Lamba Legal: Marriage Lawsuits Recap

Lambda Legal has posted an exhaustive recapping of all the marriage equality lawsuits currently underway. In summary, there currently are 64 pending lawsuits (43 in federal court – 9 of which are on appeal – and 21 in state courts, 5 of which are on appeal and 11 of which raise federal claims), involving how the marriage laws of 30 …

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NORTH CAROLINA: ACLU Files Lawsuit For Out-Of-State Marriage Recognition

Just in from the ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation and the law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Ellis & Winters LLP have filed a new case in federal court on behalf of three married, same-sex couples seeking state recognition of their marriages. Because of the serious medical condition of one …

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TOMORROW: Tenth Circuit Court To Hear Oral Arguments In Utah Marriage Case

Tomorrow a three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear opening arguments in Kitchen V Herbert. The Human Rights Campaign has posted a short recap on the cases presently before the Tenth.

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Scott Lively: SF Pride Has Named Me This Year’s Pink Brick Award Recipient

Scott Lively claimed yesterday that a writer from the Bar Area Reporter has called to get his reaction to being named this year’s recipient of San Francisco Pride’s annual Pink Brick Award, which they describe on their site: “The Pink Brick is a symbol of the first brick hurled at the Stonewall Riots in 1969. This faux award is an …

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MICHIGAN: State Asks For Full Sixth Circuit Court To Hear Marriage Appeal

Michigan has asked for an en banc review of the marriage equality case now before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lyle Dennison writes at SCOTUSblog: This is the first time that a state which has had its ban on such marriages struck down in a district court has asked for full court review of an appeal. Federal judges in …

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FLORIDA: Fourth Marriage Lawsuit Filed

Florida’s fourth marriage equality lawsuit was filed today against a panhandle county clerk. The debate over same-sex marriage is making its mark locally with the filing of a lawsuit against Washington County Interim Clerk of Court Harold Bazzel after his office refused to issue a marriage license for a local gay couple. “We followed the law,” said Bazzel. “The statute …

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OHIO: Federal Judge Will Strike Down Ban On Recognizing Out-Of-State Marriages

Chris Geidner has the news at Buzzfeed: Following a hearing Friday, a federal judge in Ohio announced he plans to rule that Ohio has to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples granted out of state. In a docket entry summarizing the hearing, the court stated, “The Court anticipates striking down as unconstitutional under all circumstances Ohio’s bans on recognizing legal …

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OKLAHOMA: County Clerk Files Marriage Ban Defense Brief With Tenth Circuit

Alliance Defending Freedom yesterday a filed a brief in defense of Oklahoma’s gay marriage ban on behalf of Tulsa County Clerk Sally Smith.  The ban was overturned by a federal court in January and that ruling was immediately stayed pending an appeal, which was filed two days later by the ADF. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals should uphold Oklahoma’s …

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