FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONTACTS:

• Elizabeth Riel 310.560.4886 or elizabeth@afer.org
• Manny Rivera 323.892.2081 or manny@afer.org

 Prop. 8 and DOMA Cases Now Distributed for Nov. 30 Conference

Washington, DC – Today, the United States Supreme Court indicated that it has rescheduled the date when it will consider whether to grant review in Hollingsworth v. Perry (formerly Perry v. Brown), the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  The Perry case, along with several cases challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), have been distributed for consideration at the Justices’ private Conference scheduled for Friday, November 30.  The Proposition 8 and DOMA cases had previously been distributed for the Conference of Tuesday, November 20.

Enacted in November 2008, Proposition 8 eliminated the fundamental freedom of gay and lesbian Californians to marry.  DOMA, which was enacted by Congress in 1996, nullifies the marriages of gay and lesbian couples for all purposes of federal law.

The Perry case was filed on May 22, 2009 in Federal District Court on behalf of two California couples, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo.  On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark ruling upholding the historic August 2010 decision of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  On July 30, 2012, the proponents of Proposition 8 asked the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s judgment.  A request for Supreme Court review, known as a petition for a writ of certiorari, is only granted upon an affirmative vote of four Justices.

Should the Court grant review, the Justices will go on to consider whether Proposition 8 violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.  If the Court denies review, the February 2012 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that struck down Proposition 8 is made permanent, ending four years of marriage inequality in California.

The Supreme Court is expected to release an Order List with its decisions on cases it has granted or denied review from its November 30 Conference by Monday, December 3.  In the event that the Court neither grants nor denies review in Perry by December 3, the Justices will discuss the case again at a future Conference.

• READ PLAINTIFFS’ BRIEF IN OPPOSITION HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2012-08-24-Plaintiffs-Brief-in-Opposition.pdf
• READ PROPONENTS’ PETITION FOR CERTIORARI HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2012-07-31-Proponents-Petition-for-Certiorari.pdf
• READ THE NINTH CIRCUIT’S ORDER DENYING REHEARING EN BANC HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012-06-05-En-Banc-Order.pdf
• READ THE NINTH CIRCUIT’S DECISION HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-07-Decision-on-Merits.pdf
• READ THE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT’S DECISION HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Prop8Decision.pdf

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About the American Foundation for Equal Rights

The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Hollingsworth v. Perry (formerly Perry v. Brown), the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  After bringing together bipartisan attorneys Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality.

www.afer.org