Michigan and Kentucky Plaintiffs Ask Supreme Court to Review Sixth Circuit Ruling Upholding Gay Marriage Bans
Joining plaintiffs in Ohio and Tennessee who have filed similar petitions with the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs at the center of the cases challenging Kentucky and Michigan’s gay marriage bans are asking the high court to take up the Sixth Circuit’s anti-equality ruling.
The Associated Press reports:
…Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway has declined to defend the state ban and Gov. Steve Beshear has hired private attorneys to represent the state. The Ohio appeal focuses on the state’s refusal to recognize out-of-state gay marriages because of its own ban, while the Tennessee case is narrowly focused on the rights of three same-sex couples.
Detroit Free Press reports on the significance of the April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse’s Michigan case:
While it remains uncertain which case — if any — the U.S. Supreme Court decides to take, here are some elements that make the Michigan case unique:
* There was an actual trial on the same-sex marriage issue in Michigan, whereas in other states, judges issued decisions after reading written arguments, with no cross examination of any witnesses or experts.
* Two, the Michigan plaintiffs aren’t just seeking legal recognition for same-sex couples who were married in other states, but are actually fighting to make gay marriage legal in Michigan by challenging a voter-approved ban on it.
* Three, the Michigan plaintiffs also have children they are raising together — a key issue in the same-sex marriage debate. Those fighting to legalize gay marriage argue families are being harmed when same-sex parents aren’t legally recognized, while traditional marriage advocates argue that children thrive best when raised by moms and dads and that it’s too early to tell if same-sex parenting is a good idea or not.
* Four, the state of Michigan is actively seeking to keep same-sex marriage illegal, whereas in other states, officials have opted not to pursue appeals once a federal judge has spoken on the issue. That didn’t happen at the conclusion of Michigan’s same-sex marriage trial.
DOMA lawyer Mary Bonauto has also joined the Michigan legal team.
Here are the briefs courtesy of Equality Case Files.
[photo via screenshot]
Kyler Geoffroy
