Tag Archives: SCOTUS

Editorial Of The Day

From the editorial board of the New York Times: As important as the federal appeals court ruling was on Thursday declaring same-sex marriage bans in two states to be unconstitutional, the clarity and blunt reasoning behind the decision was equally momentous. Writing for a unanimous three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Judge Richard …

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32 States To SCOTUS: Rule On Marriage

In two separate briefs, a total of 32 states have asked the Supreme Court to make a final ruling on same-sex marriage. Via the Associated Press: Fifteen states that allow gay marriage, led by Massachusetts, filed a brief asking the justices to take up three cases from Virginia, Utah and Oklahoma and overturn bans. And 17 other states, led by …

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WISCONSIN: Attorney General To Appeal Marriage Ban Overturn To SCOTUS

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he will appeal today’s ruling to the Supreme Court. Van Hollen’s spokeswoman, Dana Brueck, said in an email to The Associated Press that Van Hollen has always believed the case will be decided in the that court. U.S. District Judge Barbra Crabb struck down the ban as unconstitutional in June. Hundreds of gay …

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SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg To Officiate At Another Same-Sex Wedding

This weekend Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will officiate at a same-sex wedding in New York. The wedding will be for Danny Rubens, her former law clerk, and his partner Danny Grossman, also an attorney, according to Deadline Detroit. “Justice Ginsburg will not have any comment beyond confirming she will officiate at the wedding of Danny Rubens and Danny …

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COLORADO: AG Asks Tenth Circuit To Continue Stay Until SCOTUS Rules

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers yesterday asked the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to continue the stay on same-sex marriage in his state until the Supreme Court rules on the cases before it from Utah and Oklahoma. Although a divided panel of the Tenth Circuit has ruled that Utah’s and Oklahoma’s bans and non-recognition of same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, those …

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Editorial Of The Day

From the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times: It’s unusual when the winners of a case ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of their victory. But that is exactly the plea being made by lawyers for same-sex couples who successfully challenged bans on such unions in Virginia, Oklahoma and Utah. And for good reasons. Although some …

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New York Times: SCOTUS Sometimes Relies On “Facts” From Amicus Briefs

The New York Times reports that Supreme Court justices are “increasingly citing” unverified and questionable data gleaned from the avalanche of amicus briefs that typically accompany hotly contested issues. Some of the factual assertions in recent amicus briefs would not pass muster in a high school research paper. But that has not stopped the Supreme Court from relying on them. …

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VIRGINIA: Alliance Defending Freedom Asks SCOTUS To Hear Bostic Case

Acting on behalf of Prince William County Clerk Michele McQuigg, today the Alliance Defending Freedom petitioned SCOTUS to hear their appeal of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that struck down Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. Today’s petitions follow those from AFER and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. The full request is here. (Via Equality Case Files)

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Utah Plaintiffs To SCOTUS: Hear Our Case

The good guys in Kitchen v Herbert today petitioned SCOTUS to hear their case. Hit the link and dig into their argument. (Via Equality Case Files) RELATED: Plaintiffs in the Oklahoma and Virginia cases have filed similar petitions, but SCOTUSblog today pointed out an angle from the Oklahoma case: In the most specific advice so far on how the Supreme …

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NORTH CAROLINA: Federal Court Stays Marriage Until SCOTUS Rules On Virginia

Yesterday a federal court stayed any further action on North Carolina’s same-sex marriage battle until SCOTUS rules on Virginia’s Bostic case. According to the order, should SCOTUS decline to hear Virginia’s case, the stay will be lifted. Also yesterday AFER followed Virginia AG Mark Herring and the Alliance Defending Freedom in asking SCOTUS to hear Bostic. The North Carolina ruling …

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AFER To SCOTUS: Hear Our Virginia Case

The American Foundation for Equal Rights today filed a SCOTUS brief which demands that the Court hear their Virginia marriage equality suit. “Forty-seven years ago, Mildred and Richard Loving passionately argued that the Supreme Court must end the unjust laws that dare to tell us who we can and cannot love,” said Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel Ted Olson of Gibson, Dunn …

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VIRGINIA: Anti-Gay Norfolk County Clerk Petitions SCOTUS To Hear Marriage Appeal

Via SCOTUSblog: Arguing that lower federal courts have “subverted” the Supreme Court’s decision last year on same-sex marriage, a Virginia court clerk on Friday filed his own petition – the second filing seeking a ruling on the constitutionality of that state’s ban on such marriages and the fourth on the basic constitutional issue. The filing may complicate the Court’s chances …

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SCOTUSblog: The Court Has Given No Clear Signal On Taking Any Marriage Case

Lyle Denniston writes at SCOTUSblog: Since early this year, the Supreme Court has stepped back into the same-sex marriage controversy five times. While it has done little to explain those actions, it has sent some signals about its thinking. Its most important signals may have been those it appeared to have sent Wednesday, in putting off the issuance of marriage …

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Brian Brown: The Tide Has Turned

“After winning many lawsuits in lower federal courts presided over by hand-picked, liberal, activist judges, the momentum behind the marriage redefinition agenda is waning. Remember, in addition to the Supreme Court’s intervention in Utah and Virginia, federal judges in states like Wisconsin are taking notice and issuing stays on their own decisions to allow the legal process to play out. …

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Brian Brown Celebrates Virginia Stay

“We are pleased that the US Supreme Court has put a halt to the decision in Virginia redefining marriage in violation of the state’s marriage amendment overwhelmingly approved by voters. We had called upon the Court to take this step and are gratified that they will now be able to carefully consider the issues. This is another indication that the …

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LGBT Groups React To Virginia Stay

Equality Virginia It is disappointing that the Supreme Court stayed the 4th Circuit Court’s decision.  Lesbian and gay Virginians have waited long enough for the freedom to marry. Loving couples – and families – should not have to endure yet another standstill before their commitment to one another is recognized here in Virginia. Every day that this ruling is stayed, …

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FRC Cheers Virginia Stay Continuance

Via press release from the FRC: The Fourth Circuit erred when it struck down the decision of the people of Virginia to define marriage as it has been understood for ages: as being between one man and one woman. Today, the Supreme Court put a hold on the Fourth Circuit ruling, allowing Virginia’s law to continue to be enforced while …

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BREAKING: Full SCOTUS Continues Stay On Virginia Same-Sex Marriages

And of course they had to drag it down to the wire.

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Former NOM Official: It’s Over, Same-Sex Marriage Will Be Legal Nationwide In 2015

Jeremy Hooper writes at Good As You: From 2008–2013, some of the most crucial years of the marriage equality fight, Jennifer Roback Morse was on the front lines, serving first as a Proposition 8 spokesperson and then in a six-figure, senior role with the National Organization For Marriage’s Education Fund. And during that time, she said all kinds of strange …

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Freep This Virginia Poll

The poll is here. Today is the day for Supreme Court Justice John Roberts to give us the decision or do nothing and allow the stay to expire. In the unlikely event that the stay is not continued, marriages commence tomorrow morning. At courthouses across the commonwealth, more than 60 clergy will stand ready on Thursday to perform ceremonies as …

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