A three-judge panel of the 9th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Prop 8, the state’s law banning same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional because it deprives gay and lesbian couples of the equal right to wed. Judges Stephen Reinhardt and Michael Daly Hawkins joined in the ruling; Judge N. Randy Smith dissented. Prop 8 backers can now ask the 9th Circuit to rehear the case with an 11-judge panel, or appeal directly to the Supreme Court.
Recap: Mercury News; Chronicle; LA Times
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Ron Russell Editor’s blog |
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