Federal judge strikes down Florida gay marriage ban

[J.R.E.]

Federal judge strikes down Florida gay marriage ban   


MIAMI (AP) --

Florida's gay marriage ban has been struck down.

A federal judge on Thursday declared Florida's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, joining state judges in four counties who have sided with gay couples wishing to tie the knot.

U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle in Tallahassee ruled that the ban added to Florida's constitution by voters in 2008 violates the 14th Amendment's guarantees of equal protection and due process. Hinkle issued a stay delaying the effect of his order, meaning no marriage licenses will be immediately issued for gay couples.

Hinkle, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, compared bans on gay marriage to the long-abandoned prohibitions on interracial marriage and predicted both would be viewed by history the same way.

"When observers look back 50 years from now, the arguments supporting Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, though just as sincerely held, will again seem an obvious pretext for discrimination," Hinkle wrote in a 33-page ruling. "To paraphrase a civil rights leader from the age when interracial marriage was struck down, the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice."

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has appealed the previous rulings striking down the ban in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties. Hinkle's ruling allows time for appeals in the federal case. Bondi has said the Florida cases should await a final ruling on gay marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A number of similar rulings around the country have been put on hold while appeals are pursued.

The latest Florida ruling came in a pair of lawsuits that brought by gay couples seeking to marry in Florida and others who want to force Florida to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other states. Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which represented some of the gay couples, said the tide of rulings makes legal same-sex marriage in Florida appear inevitable.

"We're very pleased to see the ban held unconstitutional in such unequivocal terms so that all Florida families will soon finally have the same protections," said ACLU staff attorney Daniel Tilley.

This is a developing story. Check back for the latest.

[J.R.E.]

And,.... It continues   

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/8/27/supreme_court_same_s.html


Florida Supreme Court agrees to rule on state's same-sex marriage ban


TALLAHASSEE (AP) --

Florida's highest court is being asked to decide whether or not the state's ban on gay marriage is constitutional.

In an unusual decision, the state's 2nd District Court of Appeal on Wednesday asked the Florida Supreme Court to settle the question due to "great public importance." If the high court takes up the case, it could result in having the issue settled even before the U.S. Supreme Court acts.

The ruling is connected to a Hillsborough County divorce case involving a same-sex couple who had been married in Massachusetts but since relocated to the Tampa area. Their petition to dissolve their marriage was rejected by a Florida judge who noted that state law does not recognize gay marriage.

"Resolution of the constitutional questions will no doubt impact far more individuals than the two involved here," states the unsigned opinion. "And there can be little doubt that until the constitutional questions are finally resolved by the Florida Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court, there will be a great impact on the proper administration of justice in Florida."

A panel of judges with the Lakeland based appeals court earlier this summer rejected a request to forward the case up the state Supreme Court. But that ruling was overturned in a 10-3 decision by the entire appeals court.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has asked judges to stop ruling on same-sex marriage cases until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether states can ban gay marriage. But her request has not been ruled on yet. Bondi's office was not involved in the Hillsborough County case, but a spokeswoman said the ruling is being reviewed now by the attorney general.

Voters approved Florida's ban in 2008.

But judges in four Florida counties - Palm Beach, Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward- have overturned the ban. Last week a federal judge also overturned the ban. No marriage licenses have been issued so far as the cases have either been appealed or judges have issued a stay to delay the effect of the ruling.

Gay marriage proponents have won more than 20 legal decisions against state same-sex marriage restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act last year.

[J.R.E.]

Too funny,  .... 


http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2014/06/01/floridas-twice-divorced-attorney-general-thinks-gays-don%E2%80%99t

Florida's Twice Divorced Attorney General Thinks Gays Don’t Have ‘Stable And Enduring Family Units’   


Ray

[J.R.E.]

And one more link from July 1st, from Joe my God :

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2014/07/florida-attorney-general-pam-bondi.html#disqus_thread

[J.R.E.]

And moving right along,....  :

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/ap/2014/08/28/Florida_court_won_t_delay_gay_marriage_appeals.html

Florida court won't delay gay marriage appeals


MIAMI --

(AP) A Miami-based appeals court has rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi's request that two gay marriage cases be delayed until the U.S. Supreme Court decides the issue nationally.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that the cases from Miami-Dade and Monroe counties will move forward. Bondi's office appealed rulings from judges in the two counties that declared Florida's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

The decision comes one day after another court, the 2nd District Court of Appeal, asked the Florida Supreme Court to decide the issue statewide. Judges in Broward and Palm Beach counties have also found the gay marriage ban approved by voters in 2008 to be unconstitutional.

A Tallahassee-based federal judge issued a similar ruling but also stayed its effect pending the outcome of appeals.





Ray

[Wade]

Hi Ray,
We lived in Monroe county for many years , South Florida is very liberal.
The rest of the state, Well...........?  We have since relocated to Ma near Provincetown, I would love to see that pass ! Part of me will always be there.