Calif. high court asked to hear gay marriage cases
Lawyer Blogs
The state attorney general and sponsors of the ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California urged its Supreme Court to hear a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn the ban, saying the matter is too urgent to be unsettled.
"The petitions raise issues of statewide importance, implicating not only California's marriage laws but also the initiative process and the Constitution itself," Attorney General Jerry Brown argued in his filing.
"This court can provide certainty and finality in this matter," he said.
Proposition 8, which passed with 52 percent of the vote earlier this month, overturned the high court's May decision legalizing gay marriage in California. The measure inserts language into the constitution limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
Gay and civil rights groups, the city of San Francisco and other plaintiffs have asked the court to void the measure on the grounds that voters did not have the authority to make, what they say, is a fundamental constitutional change.
There is no deadline for the justices to decide whether they'll take the cases.
The litigation has made unwitting allies of supporters of the same-sex marriage ban and the attorney general, who voted against the proposition. Over the summer, anti-gay marriage groups sued Brown after his office changed the measure's wording to reflect that it would take away a right that same-sex couples then had.
Related listings
-
Wisconsin court says 1985 killer should be freed
Lawyer Blogs 11/14/2008A Wisconsin appeals court ruled Thursday that a man who killed a Catholic priest and two others in a church 23 years ago should be released from a mental hospital.Bryan Stanley had claimed to be a prophet sent to cleanse St. Patrick's Catholic Church...
-
US appeals court hears arguments in ND hemp case
Lawyer Blogs 11/13/2008An attorney for two North Dakota farmers argued they should be able to grow industrial hemp under state regulations without fear of federal criminal prosecution.Attorney Joe Sandler told a panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday t...
-
Ex-Wash. priest agrees to pay abuse victims $5M
Lawyer Blogs 11/11/2008A former priest accused in many of the child sex-abuse claims that bankrupted the eastern Washington Catholic diocese has agreed to pay $5 million to victims, who'll likely never be paid.Even though Patrick O'Donnell doesn't have the money he agreed ...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .