The Supreme Court reconvened today and the justices indicated they won’t hear an appeal by the National Organization for Marriage, which donated $1.9 million to a PAC that worked to repeal Maine’s same-sex marriage law. The Supremes might still take up one of the other marriage-equality cases later this session.
How much later? Well, that’s anyone’s guess. (Start your office pools now.)
AFER’s weekly news roundup breaks down the latest from the court, and what to expect in the coming weeks. Also in the news: polling in Maryland looks good, but not great. It’s going to be a close one! If you haven’t given money or time to the campaign, well, there’s never been a better time.
murphy0071
Appears SCOTUS, with the Gang of Five in control , have decided to put the most socially relevant cases at the end so people will read their ho hum opinions.
MarionPaige
The Federal Circuit and The Supreme Court are packed with “Conservative” Judges. And, yet, it has been this very same Republican packed Federal Circuit that has been keeping this GAY MARRIAGE BULLSHIT Alive.
So, why would the Republican Packed Federal Circuit have been keeping gay marriage alive and funneling gay marriage cases to The Supreme Court if the Circuit didn’t already know that the Supreme Court would take the cases and rule in favor of Gay Marriage?
What is interesting is that you have a Conservative/Republican Packed Federal Circuit deliberately acting like a LIBERAL ACTIVIST COURT so that they can get a Republican Elected President who can further pack the Supreme Court and The Federal Circuit with Conservative Judges.
If anyone is curious to know what The Republicans are likely to do when they again have a majority on The Supreme Court and on The Federal Circuit, you might go back to 1988 and take a look at how The Supreme Court tried to gut a 100+ year old Civil Rights Law Passed During Reconstruction.
Cam
So what is the result of passing on NOM’s appeal? Normally when that happens it means that the lower courts ruling stands. So which ruling did they pass on? What is the effect? Was it from a state supreme court or a Federal Circut court meaning does their letting the lower court’s ruling stand effect a region of the country or just a state?
Come on guys.
DuMaurier
@Cam: The 9th Circuit ruling on Prop 8 will stand (and therefore “re-legalize” same-sex marriage in California) if the Supreme Court actually denies the appeal. Just “passing” on it for now doesn’t qualify; it’s just a postponement on a decision, and it’s still an open question as to whether they’ll hear the appeal or not.
just as good as you
@Cam: With all due respect to DuMaurier’s reply above, it is regarding Prop 8, not the NOM decision in Maine. The Maine decision (“National Organization for Marriage, which donated $1.9 million to a PAC that worked to repeal Maine’s same-sex marriage law.”) and they wanted to circumvent Maine’s “Sunshine Laws” whereby donors of $5,000 and up must be a matter of public records.
IOW, NOM wants to protect the identitites of people working to take away some citizens’ rights and freedoms. We suspect that it will reveal large out-of-state donations from both Mormon and Catholic organizations.
The decision means those names will be revealed, so it is a victory for the pro-equality side and a blow to those who hate in secret.
They have yet to make a ruling on the Prop 8 case, and everything DuMaurier said about that case is accurate. I hope they likewise decide not to hear it too, but it is possible we won’t even know their decision to hear or not hear until November.