Wave of Appeals Expected to Turn the Tide on Same-Sex Marriage Bans

[RKP5637]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/us/appeals-expected-to-block-more-marriage-bans-on-fast-track-to-justices.html?hpw&rref=us&_r=0

With a slew of cases barreling toward federal appeals courts, almost certainly including the decision Friday that overturned Michigan’s restrictive marriage amendment, the legal battle over same-sex marriage is entering a new and climactic phase. Decisions in the coming months will resonate beyond individual states across entire regions and may impel the Supreme Court to revisit the issue sooner than it wished.

Legal experts say the country is entering what one called a “marriage spring” and predict that several of the circuit courts, which hold sway over a group of states, will rule that state laws limiting marriage to a man and a woman are unconstitutional.

Enforcement of decisions may well be delayed while the Supreme Court takes one or more of them for review, with a decision then possible by June 2015.

A day after Michigan's gay marriage ban was lifted, a federal appeals court stayed the ruling.For Gay Couples in Michigan, a Day of Joy Ends in Legal Uncertainty.

But if the Supreme Court demurs, those rulings will become law throughout those circuits, requiring many more states to join the 17 that have already authorized same-sex marriage.

“This is the penultimate act,” said Michael C. Dorf, a constitutional expert at Cornell University Law School, of the sudden wave of federal court hearings. It will start in Denver in April as the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit considers rulings that overturned marriage limits in Utah and Oklahoma.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. I can't wait for it to hit Alaska.

Certain heads will explode, which will make me ecstatic.

[RKP5637]

2. ...

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Just make sure you remain out of the range of the explosion

it can be nasty.

[morningfog]

4. When a Federal Court considers the issue, they always decide for equality.

The Constitution is on our side, and nationwide recognition is inevitable (and fast approaching).

[shenmue]

5. True

You can't stop history. It'll be a matter of time before the last state barriers fall.

[RKP5637]

7. I hope so. I am so tired of the BS. And for what reason, none has ever been able to

give to me a good reason. Then they go off into some BS religious rhetoric, all of which is unfounded stuff in their head that they blindly parrot. Then, there are others that just love persecution, all they want is a target to persecute and LGBT gives to them that target so they can get off on their fetish of hatred.

[brooklynite]

6. I Know someone who works at the Supreme Court...

Her expectation is that this won't make it onto the Court's docket until the Fall 2015-2016 term

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, I've heard or read similar someplace. I think 2014 is way too optimistic. n/t

[fizzgig]

9. not sure when it's going to hit the state court yet

but the ball is rolling in colorado. no idea why or how it took so long for a suit to be filed regarding our ban here, but it's filed now.

the wind is shifting and in the right direction

[RKP5637]

10. K&R!!!