Politics & Government

Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Push Quickly for Ruling in New Jersey

Motions contend that civil unions are inadequate and unconstitutional in light of landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision

By Colleen O'Dea (courtesy NJ Spotlight)

Same-sex marriage advocates, carrying through on their vow to act quickly in New Jersey in light of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court rulings, will file motions Wednesday in state court seeking to have the state’s civil-union law declared unconstitutional.

Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson has issued an expedited schedule for hearing the request by Garden State Equality and six couples for summary judgment in their lawsuit, which seeks to force New Jersey to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry and to recognize marriages from other states.

The state will have until August 2 to respond. GSE must reply by August 9, and Jacobson will then hold a hearing on the motion August 15 in Trenton.

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“We asked for and received an expedited filing schedule that has us filing all our papers on Wednesday,” said Hayley Gorenberg, deputy legal director at Lambda Legal, who is handling GSE’s case. “That is very speedy.”

Gov. Chris Christie reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage following the Supreme Court’s ruling, which invalidated a portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and Democrats in the state Legislature have balked at putting the question on the ballot, so in the end it may be the state’s courts that rewrite the rules on this issue, as they have on several other issues over the decades.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Read more at NJSpotlight.com

NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.


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