American Foundation for Equal Rights

Marriage News Blog

Date Set: US Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Prop. 8 and DOMA Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will consider whether to grant review in AFER’s federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.

The Justices will meet to discuss AFER’s case, along with several challenges to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), at their private Conference scheduled for Tuesday, November 20.

The Court is expected to either:

  • Grant review of our Prop. 8 challenge, at which point AFER’s legal team, led by distinguished attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies, will submit written briefs and present oral arguments by April 2013. A final decision on Prop. 8 and marriage equality is expected by June 2013.
  • Deny review, making permanent the landmark federal appeals court ruling that found Prop. 8 UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Marriage equality will be restored in California.

The Court is expected to release an Order List with its decisions on cases it has granted or denied review from its November 20 Conference
by Monday, November 26.  Though AFER is hopeful that we will hear something from the Justices by that day, the Court does not have an
obligation to set a timeline for making a decision on granting or denying review.

Check out AFER’s graphic explaining our journey to date and how AFER fights for marriage equality. Share it with your friends and family so they know what’s at stake.

Support for marriage equality continues to grow every day, with no less than 16 polls now confirming that a majority of Americans believe gay and lesbian couples should have the freedom to get married. AFER brought this case with the expectation of taking our challenge to Prop. 8 all the way to the Supreme Court. Now that two federal courts have found Prop. 8 unconstitutional, it is time-indeed past time-that our nation live up to the promise of liberty and equality enshrined in the Constitution, and all Americans be allowed to marry the person they love.