same-sex marriage

SUPREME COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN CASE THAT COULD LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2015 (Washington D.C.)  - The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a landmark case this week, Obergefell v. Hodges, that is expected to decide whether same-sex couples should have a constitutional right to marriage in all 50 states.


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SUPREME COURT ALLOWS GAY MARRIAGES TO COMMENCE

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – Wedding bells will soon be ringing for same-sex couples in many more states, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied hearings on all appeals pending.

American Civil Liberties Union attorney James Esseks called the decision “a watershed moment for the entire country.”

The high court refused to hear appeals of same-sex marriage rulings in five states where appellate courts ruled that bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional.  However,the decision is expected to expand same-sex marriage rights to a total of 11 states that are all under jurisdiction of the federal appeals courts that ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.  Add those to the number of states where same-sex marriage already is legal, including California, and the U.S. will likely soon have 30 states—a majority--where same-sex marriage is protected.


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COUNTY CLERK PETITIONS COURT TO STOP ISSUANCE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LICENSES

July 21, 2013 (San Diego) – San Diego County Clerk Ernest Dronenberg Jr. has filed a petition with the California Supreme Court asking justices to prohibit County Clerks from issuing same-sex marriage licenses.  The marriages resumed after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling invalidating Proposition 8.  But Dronenberg argues the ruling should apply only to the two couples who sued over Prop 8.

Today Greg Cox, Chairman of the San Diego Board of Supervisors, made clear that Dronenberg acted on his own.  “No one else from the County was consulted or had any part of ths court action, including the Board of Supervisors,” Cox said in a statement sent to media.  “The County’s position is and always has been that we, the County, will follow applicable law with regards to same sex marriage.”


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GAY MARRIAGES RESUME IN CA; OPPONENTS FILE LAST-DITCH APPEAL

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Following in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision dismissing the Proposition 8 case, the Ninth District Court of Appeal yesterday lifted its stay on same-sex marriages.  For the first time in five years, gay couples can now legally wed once again in California.

Attorney General Kamala Harris performed the first such marriage after the ban was lifted, uniting the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought against Prop 8, Kristin Perry and her fiancée, Sandy Stier.  The wedding took place at San Francisco’s City Hall.


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SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN DENIAL OF FEDERAL BENEFITS UNDER DOMA, DISMISSES PROP 8 CASE

 

 

Governor Brown orders county clerks to begin same-sex marriages as soon as 9th Circuit Court lifts stay

By Miriam Raftery

June 26, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme court, in closely divided 5-4 rulings, handed down decisions today in two landmark same –sex marriage cases. The rulings are being hailed as victories for supporters of same-sex marriage, while opponents vow to continue the battle at the state level. In California, however, the high court's dismissal of the Proposition 8 case opens the door for weddings between same-sex couples to resume soon.

For Dayna Dunbar of Spring Valley, the news sparked an emotional chord.  She and her partner, Brenda, have been together since 2001 and have an adopted son, Jesse (photo, left). 

“We were just holding each other, in tears,” she told ECM today.  When their son heard news of the court decision, Dunbar added, “He was so excited, he hugged us about three times each.”


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POLITICAL REFLECTIONS COLUMN: MARRYING YOUR GAY FIRST COUSIN?

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

April 7, 2013 (San Diego)--On March 26 and 27, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two major cases over whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

On March 26 they heard arguments on whether Proposition 8, which California voters passed in November 2008 to short-circuit the ruling of the California Supreme Court that the state’s constitution did not allow it to deny marriage to same-sex couples, is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The next day they heard the case of Edith Windsor, who legally married her long-term partner, Thea Spyer, in Canada in 2007, then got socked with a federal estate tax bill of $367,000 because the federal government didn’t recognize her marriage under the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DoMA) passed by Congress in 1996.

The two cases rest on somewhat different legal issues, and it’s quite possible the court could throw out Proposition 8 and uphold DoMA — or vice versa — but the underlying issues are the same.


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

August 30, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include: 

LOCAL/REGIONAL 
  • Southern California town declares emergency over quake swarm (Reuters) 
  • Sale of  Padres becomes official (10 News)
  • U.S.-Mexico border: efforts to build a virtual wall (BBC)
  • New poll shows DeMaio trailing Filner in mayoral race (10 News)
  • San Diego’s morphing water policy (San Diego Free Press)
  • Charges against same-sex marriage activists dismissed (10 News)
  • No fines for unpermitted UT car museum (Voice of San Diego)
STATE  
  • 19 wind turbines burned, 9 damaged in Jawbone fire (California Wildfires Today) 
  • Reactions pour in to public pension reform (Sacramento Bee 
  • Are you eating genetically modified foods laced with pesticides? (San Diego Free Press)
Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

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READER’S EDITORIAL: AN OPEN LETTER TO CITY ATTORNEY JAN GOLDSMITH

 
By Hugh Moore, El Cajon
San Diego County Green Party Treasurer
 
May 7, 2012 (San Diego)--In the case of the city against the six gay rights activists who were arrested in August of 2010 for “blocking access” to the office where people get marriage licenses I cannot understand how you can justify the expense of continuing to attempt prosecution.

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MARRIAGE EQUALITY DEMONSTRATORS URGE CITY TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST ‘EQUALITY 9'


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CA SUPREME COURT TO INTERVENE IN PROP 8 CASE

February 18, 2011 (Sacramento) -- Do opponents of gay marriage have legal standing to challenge a decision overturning Proposition 8 in federal court after the state’s two top officers opted not to defend the measure? California’s Supreme Court has announced it will take up that legal question.


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WEDDING BELLS SILENCED: JUDGE BLOCKS SAME-SEX MARRIAGES UNTIL DECEMBER

 

East County News Service

August 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday announced an indefinite stay on same-sex marriages. The 9th Circuit also expedited scheduling to hear the appeal of Judge Walker’s decision to overturn Prop 8.

 


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JUDGE RULES SAME-SEX MARRIAGES MAY BEGIN WEDNESDAY UNLESS HIGHER COURT INTERVENES

 East County News Service

August 13, 2010 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker lifted a stay on gay marriages yesterday, after overturning Proposition 8 as unconstitutional last week. The judge declined to implement his order immediately, however, giving opponents time to appeal to a higher court. If the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals does not intervene, same-sex marriages may occur starting Wednesday.
 

San Diego’s Assessor/Recorder/Clerk’s office is accepting reservations for ceremonies to be performing as early as Wednesday, provided the ruling holds.


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