3/4: California High Court to Hear Oral Arguments in Historic Marriage Case

CALIFORNIA HIGH COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN HISTORIC MARRIAGE CASE
ON MARCH 4

Same-sex Couples Ask California Supreme Court to Strike Down Marriage
Ban

(San Francisco, CA, February 6, 2008) -- The California Supreme
Court announced today that it will hear oral arguments on March 4 in
the marriage cases challenging the exclusion of same-sex couples from
marriage.

Fifteen same-sex couples, Equality California, and Our Family
Coalition will be represented at oral arguments by Shannon Price
Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights,
which is serving as co-counsel with Lambda Legal, the American Civil
Liberties Union, Heller Ehrman LLP, and the Law Office of David C.
Codell.

The marriage cases were filed in March 2004. San Francisco Superior
Court Judge Richard A. Kramer ruled that the exclusion of same-sex
couples from marriage violates the California Constitution. In a 2-1
vote, the California Court of Appeal reversed Judge Kramer's
ruling. Shortly after the Court of Appeal's decision, the
California Supreme Court granted review of the cases in order to
consider the constitutional questions itself.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted that the California Supreme
Court should decide the constitutional questions posed by the marriage
statutes when he vetoed two measures passed by the California
Legislature in 2005 and 2007 that would have permitted same-sex
couples to marry.

The marriage cases are among the most heavily briefed cases in the
history of the California Supreme Court. Late last year, more than 20
counties and municipalities filed a friend-of-the court brief in
support of marriage for same-sex couples, including some of the most
populous cities in California: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Long
Beach, Sacramento, and Oakland. Also registering their support for
marriage equality were numerous legal and bar associations, including
the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In addition, many of the
state's leading constitutional law scholars and family law
professors filed briefs urging the court to permit same-sex couples to
marry. More than 250 religious and civil rights leaders and
organizations, including the California NAACP, Mexican American Legal
Defense and Educational Fund, California Council of Churches, Asian
Pacific American Legal Center, and National Black Justice Coalition,
also filed briefs supporting same-sex couples seeking the right to
marry.

The California Supreme Court typically issues its decisions within 90
days following oral arguments.

2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the California Supreme
Court's historic 1948 ruling that found it unconstitutional for
the state to restrict access to marriage based on the race of the
spouses. That ruling was the first of its kind in the nation's
history, and is now the law of the land across the country. The
California NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc., and
Howard Law School Civil Rights Clinic have urged the court to apply
the reasoning from its 1948 decision to the present marriage cases.

###

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal
organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families
through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. NCLR
is lead counsel in In re Marriage Cases.
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=bLvgscskKrdAXiInlkG7sA..

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full
recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals,
transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation,
education and public policy work.
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=U2UrF380GuDD4FfbfuYaNw..

The American Civil Liberties Union is America's foremost
advocate of individual rights. It fights discrimination and moves
public opinion on LGBT rights through the courts, legislatures and
public education. http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=vCWOrv_ql5_RlLQ5yLo_BQ..
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=yWz2OGPEeg1T4YKeGyFB-w..

Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based,
statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality
and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
Californians. http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=82ZMbWaCy4ET-PSGgf2HiQ..



useful links & downloads

NCLR's In re Marriage Cases information page
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=kJxrtdCYvd392P3GmkfSgw..

California marriage case fact sheet (pdf)
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=5sBkL8lNRxD9IiekfFymRQ..

meet the couples NCLR is representing
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=yXFRM1Of3psIvBPUyhgxnA..

help support the fight for marriage equality
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=OF3RNXRpux7LgpiYqJEagg..


You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to our NCLR
Action Alert and Breaking News list. To update your information or to
unsubscribe, click on the link below.

Unsubscribe
http://ncflr.convio.net/site/CO?i=K0Zyg3QLA5ky4djNr3ldfZTzK8S-iTzD&cid=1082



NCLR National
Office 415.392.6257 | Southern
Regional
Office 727.490.4260 | Washington,
D.C., Regional
Office 202.737.0012 | Complete
Contact Information
http://www.nclrights.org/site/R?i=rmVB9MM-3www7NN4MHclNw..