Breaking: a California judge has ordered the federal court case challenging Proposition 8 closed.
Haven’t been following the four year saga? Check out our cheat sheet below.
What is it:
- Proposition 8 was passed by Cali voters [1] in 2008 by a vote of 52.3% to 47.7%
- The constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage was approved just months after the state’s Supreme Court had ruled in favor of gay marriage.
- However, marriages that occurred before the election would still be recognized under state law.
What’s happened:
- After a lengthy legal battle, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' June 2012 order [2] saw the Prop 8 case heading to the U.S. Supreme Court [3].
- Opponents of same-sex marriage failed to garner the majority vote of full circuit judges.
- As a result, the 9th Circuit Court rejected the request to review its own ruling throwing out the voter-approved ban on gay marriage.
- Lawyers in the case expected the bill to be reviewed this fall and a decision made on its constitutionally next June.
- Federal Judge James Ware [4], who took over the federal case challenging Prop 8, ordered the case [5] closed today.
What now:
- Following Judge Ware’s ruling same-sex couples [6] CAN now get married in Cali.
- However, a stay (hold) of the case was granted by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which means that couples will have to wait on the Supreme Court's ruling to marry.
[7]
Discrimination [8]
LGBT Rights [9]