Category Archives: Federal Courts
Kagan — Gays are constituency, not priority
It’s been clear since Elena Kagan was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court that her confirmation hearing would be unusually focused on things gay. First, there were the complaints that she barred military recruiters from Harvard Law School while she was
Prop 8 closing: Fear v. Equality
There were so many people trying to get in to watch the final day of the landmark trial challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban, the court staff had to set up an additional overflow room for observers.
Mid-day report: Prop 8 trial closing arguments
Conservative attorney Ted Olson relied heavily this morning on comparisons between the current ban on same-sex marriage and the ban that existed in the 1960’s on interracial marriage.
Judge’s Prop 8 questions portend ‘blockbuster’
The federal judge presiding over the highly publicized Proposition 8 trial distributed to attorneys on both sides of the controversy a list of 39 questions he’d like them to address during closing arguments June 16. It’s the kind of list,
Mass. likens DOMA to Colorado initiative that Supreme Court struck down
For the second time in three weeks, a federal judge in Boston heard arguments in a lawsuit that asks the court to strike down a significant part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
White House hints Kagan passive on “Don’t Ask” policy
The number of results from a Google search of "Elena Kagan" plus the word "gay" more than doubled from 722,000 on Monday, when President Obama nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court, to 1,950,000 on Tuesday night, when Politico.com reported
Reserved ovation for Kagan nomination to high court
Gay legal activists are applauding President Obama’s second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: Solicitor General Elena Kagan. But it could hardly be described as a standing ovation.
Court hears first challenge to DOMA
Gay legal activists feel they got a good hearing from U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Tauro May 6, in the first federal district court hearing to examine the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Can activists claim right to privacy?
For the second time this month, the U.S. Supreme Court’s most conservative member, Justice Antonin Scalia, on Wednesday took a surprising position—one that is helpful to gay civil rights.
No on 8 groups relent; turn over documents
No on 8 groups turned over CDs of "highly confidential" material to attorneys for the Yes on 8 coalition this week, ending a months-long effort to fight a court order to do so.
