Same-Sex Marriages to Resume in California on Wednesday
by Marshall Ramsey – Worthy News US Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)– The California ban on homosexual marriage, known as Proposition 8, was overturned last week and is now awaiting an appeal, Worthy News has learned. Chief United States District Judge Vaughn Walker said same-sex marriages will resume on August 18, barring an overturn of his ruling during the appeals process.
California voters passed Proposition 8, which places a ban on homosexual marriage, through California State constitutional amendment in November 2008. This came five months after the state’s Supreme Court legalized homosexual marriage.
The Alliance Defense Fund said they will appeal immediately to the 9th Circuit to stay the trial courts decision until the case is concluded.
“It makes no sense to impose a radical change in marriage on the people of California before all appeals on their behalf are heard,” according to a statement released by the Alliance Defense Fund. “If the trial’s court’s decision is eventually reversed, refusing to the stay the decision will senselessly create legal uncertainty surrounding any same-sex unions entered while the appeal is pending.”
Constitutional scholar Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, called today’s ruling “unbelievable” and an obvious attempt to undermine a meaningful appellate review.
“Walker’s action screams for reversal by the 9th Circuit. If that (alas, notoriously unreliable) court refuses to impose a stay pending appeal, then it will be up to the Supreme Court to, once again, put an end to Walker’s lawlessness — this time, I would think, unanimously,” Whelan wrote. “Yes, I think that even those justices who may be inclined to invent a federal constitutional right to same-sex marriage will be appalled by Walker’s disregard of precedents, his absurdly biased ‘fact-finding,’ and his effort to thwart meaningful appeal.”
OTHER STATES THAT ALLOW HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE
The other states that allow homosexual marriage are Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supports the ruling, calling for the immediate allowance of homosexual couples to marry.
Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign, a homosexual advocacy group, said the overturning of Proposition 8 “means that in less than one week equality under the law will be restored for millions of loving families across California.”
SUPPORTERS OF PROPOSITION 8
Supporters of Proposition 8 are naturally upset that it was overturned. Don Grundmann, of San Leandro showed up at 7 AM in protest of the possible unfavorable ruling. Mr Grundmann said, “I had to be here at ground zero. We had to stand up to judicial tyranny.”
The case now goes before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A United States Supreme Court hearing is expected, despite the outcome.