The future of Florida’s marriage ban is hanging in the balance, with a big ruling that could allow marriage to start any day now. Anti-gay groups are still spending tons of money in multiple states, but they’re not getting much out of it. And there’s an election this week could determine the future of marriage in multiple southwestern states.

This is the week when the Supreme Court meets to decide whether to take a marriage case. After meeting in conference on Monday, the Justices will announce their decision next week, on October 6th. Currently, cases from Virginia, Indiana, Wyoming, Utah and Oklahoma are ready for consideration. The court could take one case, or several, or none at all.

As of Tuesday afternoon, September 9, 2014, 7 petitions for writ of certiorari, or requests for review, have been filed with the United States Supreme Court in 5 separate marriage equality cases around the country.

On Tuesday morning, lawyers for the states of Wisconsin and Indiana filed their formal petitions with the high court appealing Monday’s ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit which ruled the states’ marriage bans unconstitutional. Those cases join AFER’s Virginia Bostic case as well as cases from Utah and Oklahoma which are now all ready to be considered for review at the justices’ first private conference on September 29, 2014.

The Supreme Court must grant review of the marriage equality question so that loving same-sex couples across the country may be extended the promise of freedom and equality enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

The Justices will hold a series of private conferences throughout the next term to determine which cases they will hear. With 7 petitions for review before the court, and many more expected to arrive, it is evident that national resolution must be reached on the freedom to marry.

The Supreme Court has the option to grant multiple marriage cases, grant only one, delay consideration of any cases, or deny all of them.

Each of the 5 cases before the high court have garnered marriage equality victories for their respective state, yet the plaintiffs of each case agree the Supreme Court must review the merits of their arguments and answer the question of marriage equality once and for all.

READ AFER URGES SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BOSTIC CASE:

On Friday, August 8, 2014 the Commonwealth of Virginia asked the United States Supreme Court to review the federal appeals court ruling in Bostic v. Schaefer (docketed as Rainey v. Bostic) that found Virginia’s discriminatory Marriage Amendment unconstitutional. Two weeks later, on Friday, August 22, George E. Schaefer, one of the County Clerks defending the marriage ban, filed his own petition with the high court.

Virginia’s Marriage Amendment has been ruled unconstitutional twice: first in a U.S. District Court and then by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Defendants’ request for Supreme Court review, known as a petition for a writ of certiorari, is only granted upon an affirmative vote of four Supreme Court Justices.

The next Supreme Court term will begin in late September, 2014. A Supreme Court Term usually runs until late June or early July. Of the approximately 8,000 cases that appear on the Court’s docket each Term, the Justices hear and decide only between 70 and 80 cases after full briefing and oral argument.

Throughout the Term, the Justices meet almost every week in a private conference. At each conference, they consider more than 130 requests to review judgments of state and federal courts. When four Supreme Court Justices vote in favor of granting full review of a case, know as granting certiorari, the case is placed on the Court’s oral argument calendar.

Donate $25, $50, or more to help Ted Olson, David Boies, and the rest of our legal team continue to defend our victories in Virginia and bring marriage equality to the Commonwealth once and for all.

Larger image >

Scenario 1: Supreme Court Hears the Bostic Case

Should the Court decide to hear our case in the next term, AFER’s legal team, led by distinguished co-counsel Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, will make the case for the fundamental right to marry for all Americans. Oral argument would likely be scheduled for early 2015, and a final decision would be issued by July 2015.

Scenario 2: Supreme Court Does Not Hear the Bostic Case

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that ruled Virginia’s Marriage Amendment unconstitutional would go into effect as soon as that Court issues its final mandate, which would likely be several days after the Supreme Court denies review. As soon as it does, gay and lesbian Virginians would finally have the freedom to marry.

* The Court may also hold the case for later consideration.

Virginia Petition for Writ of Certiorari:

Clerk of Court for Norfolk Circuit Court George E. Schaefer Petition:

This week we’re in Washington DC, where in one year we’re all but guaranteed to have a ruling on the freedom to marry. We also have major milestones to report this week in Utah and Indiana.

Wisconsin’s marriage ban is unconstitutional. There’ve been more big defeats for the National Organization for Marriage. Utah officials resist a ruling that they must recognize the marriage licenses that the state issued to gay and lesbian couples last winter. And Pennsylvania voters show their support for the freedom to marry.

Marriage finally comes to Illinois, months after the state passed a marriage equality bill. Numerous state schedule marriage case milestones for this summer. The Attorney General of Florida insists that a marriage ban is necessary but can’t explain why. And the US Supreme Court will take a look at marriage in Oregon this week.

The National Organization for Marriage screws up again in Oregon. Judges in Idaho and Arkansas rule that marriage bans violate the US Constitution. Following another round of hearings, rulings are due any day now in Virginia and Pennsylvania. And a new lawsuit in Alaska leaves just three states with an unchallenged marriage ban.

AFER heads back to court this week to protect its latest marriage equality win. Kentucky’s Attorney General is running to become the state’s first pro-equality Governor. Oregon surveys look encouraging, but voters could still pass a turn-away-the-gays discrimination bill. And a new public education campaign in puts LGBT family members front and center in Oklahoma.

South Dakota’s Attorney General says he’ll fight a lesbian couple in court to stop them from having their marriage recognized. Alaska’s highest court has ruled against the state’s marriage ban after a deliberation of over a year and a half. We have several new lawsuits, plus a major ruling coming this week in Arkansas.