By Lisa Keen on October 18, 2012
The ruling by a Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel was not a big surprise. But the panel’s related ruling—that laws should be held to a heightened standard of review when they treat people differently because of their sexual orientation—was news.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on June 5, 2012
A glimmer of politics showed through Tuesday (June 5) when the full 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals declined a request from supporters of California’s ban on same-sex marriage to review a circuit panel’s decision that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on May 31, 2012
A unanimous three-judge panel of the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled today (Thursday, May 31) that the core part of the Defense of Marriage Act, barring federal recognition of marriages of same-sex couples, is unconstitutional.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on April 4, 2012
BOSTON — A three-judge panel in Boston heard oral arguments Wednesday (April 4) in the first challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to reach a federal appeals court.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 7, 2012
Calling Proposition 8 “remarkably similar” to Colorado’s anti-gay Amendment 2 in 1992, a divided federal appeals court panel in San Francisco ruled Tuesday (February 7) that California’s same-sex marriage ban violates the federal constitution.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on July 15, 2011
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals granted an emergency order Friday night (July 15) temporarily reinstating its original stay of an order that had prohibited the government from enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on July 7, 2011
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday issued an order that the Defense Department stop enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and the Pentagon quickly announced that it will comply.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Dana Rudolph on April 14, 2011
A recent federal court decision–in a case stemming from a conservative response to GLSEN’s Day of Silence–has upheld the right of students to express certain anti-gay sentiments.
Posted in Cases, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Dana Rudolph on April 13, 2011
In a case that calls into question the responsibility of states to recognize adoptions granted in other states, a federal circuit court said Louisiana does not have to put the names of two gay fathers on the birth certificate of a Louisiana-born boy whom they adopted in New York.
Posted in Adoption, Cases, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on March 17, 2011
Efforts to secure equal benefits for a gay federal court employee in San Francisco suffered a setback Wednesday when a federal judge dismissed the employee’s lawsuit. But Lambda Legal Defense says the dismissal has a silver lining.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, Lawsuits, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 23, 2011
Ted Olson, lead attorney for the lawsuit challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban, announced Wednesday that he is asking the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to lift a stay on a district court ruling that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 16, 2011
The road to marriage equality in California just got a little longer. The California Supreme Court said today it would make ruling on whether Yes on 8 proponents have authority, under California law, to appeal a federal court ruling that the initiative is unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, State Courts, State Supreme Courts, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 9, 2011
So much attention has been paid to the landmark challenge to California’s ban on same-sex marriage that another very important case regarding gay couples has gone almost unnoticed. And this latter case will be heard before the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on February 14.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Dana Rudolph on January 26, 2011
A federal circuit court heard arguments January 19 in a case that asks whether states must recognize adoptions by same-sex parents from other states–and the outcome could have “frightening” implications for the rights of adoptive parents.
Posted in Adoption, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on January 14, 2011
The U.S. Department of Justice filed its brief January 13 with a federal appeals court that will hear the government’s appeal of two district court decisions that found the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on January 4, 2011
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel surprised many Proposition 8 observers Tuesday when it suddenly issued five documents relating to the case. But there was no decision Tuesday in Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on December 6, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO — Famed attorney Ted Olson told a 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel Monday that the reason proponents of Proposition 8 have proffered to justify their ban on same-sex marriage is “nonsense.”
Posted in Cases, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on November 1, 2010
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Monday granted the government’s request to permanently delay enforcement of a lower court order to stop enforcement of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT).
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on October 20, 2010
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Wednesday night stopped the enforcement of a federal district court judge’s order that the military stop enforcing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on June 9, 2010
The federal judge presiding over the highly publicized Proposition 8 trial distributed to attorneys on both sides of the controversy a list of 39 questions he’d like them to address during closing arguments June 16. It’s the kind of list, said one veteran gay legal scholar, that promises his decision will likely be a “blockbuster in its scope.”
Posted in A closer look, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
Ginsburg on Roe: Is it a signal she’d curb a decision on marriage?
Immigration bill advances without provisions for same-sex couples
Leahy submits language to help bi-national same-sex couples
Delaware votes for marriage equality; becomes 11th state to make it the law
Rhode Island marriage law signed; Two more states could vote next week
President praises pro athlete Jason Collins for courage to come out