Here’s the latest news on the Prop 8 lawsuits. Someone just emailed me this news, though I couldn’t find a link to this magazine. I wouldn’t get too worked up over a ruling this week, but it seems like a ruling (or at least, an injunction on 8 so the court has more time to deliberate the case) may come sooner than originally thought.
California Gay Marriage Ban Ruling Expected Shortly
By On Top Magazine Staff
Published: November 11, 2008
Lynn Holton, a spokeswoman for the California Supreme Court, said she expects the court to rule as early as this week on a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate Proposition 8 the recently-passed constitutional amendment that yanks back the right of gays and lesbians to marry in California.
Pro-gay rights groups filed the motion on Wednesday, the day after the election, arguing that Prop 8 is invalid because it alters the constitution’s “core commitment to equality for everyone by
eliminating a fundamental right from just one group, lesbian and gay Californians.”
To make such a radial change to the constitution would require the
approval of the legislature first, the pro-gay rights groups say.
Keep in mind that the first signals sent by the state supreme court may not be 100% indicative of the final ruling. Remember that the court orginally invalidated the San Francisco marriages in 2004… Only to rule this year that the original marriage ban is unconstitutional. Hopefully now that they’ve established the precedent that the equal rights provisions of the constitution demand full equality for all, then they’ll once more reject the H8 & protect people’s rights.
The CSC’s ruling on the San Fran marriages did not mean they opposed gay marriage, they just ruled that Newsom overstepped his authority.
Prop 8 – I don’t think we will see anything this week. The Supreme court has directed Jerry Brown in his official capacity to get provide responses (primary oppositions) to the lawsuits (writs) and the deadline is Monday, November 17th at noon. So we are not likely to see anything before Tuesday.