SALEM, Ore. June 5, 2014 (AP) By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to halt same-sex weddings in Oregon while a federal appeals court considers whether a group opposed to gay marriage can intervene in the case. The order follows an emergency appeal by the National Organization for Marriage, which seeks to overturn U.S. District Judge Michael McShane's May 19 ruling that declared Oregon's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The group had unsuccessfully tried to intervene in the lower court proceeding after Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum declined to defend the same-sex ban. The group filed its request with Justice Anthony Kennedy and he referred it to the full court. The justices denied it without comment. Hundreds of same-sex couples have obtained marriage licenses since McShane's order, including 245 in Multnomah County, the state's largest. The Oregon case differs from others where the Supreme Court or federal appeals judges have temporarily blocked lower-court rulings, halting same-sex unions while appeals proceed. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/high-court-refuses-block-oregon-gay-marriage-23998148 Good solid kick in the teeth to NOM by the USSC. Sorry...no blocking of marriages in OR, which means it gets harder for the "antipathetic-to-gay-rights" crowd to hope the marriages will be nullified later.
I think this is going to be the pattern for a while. The Supreme Court will simply decline to hear cases from lower courts, until such time as the appeals courts disagree. There's no reason to take the case when you can take the default.
Obviously Kennedy and even one or more of the conservative Justices didn't want to touch it. I think they're trying to "run out the clock" and hope that if the bans are lifted in enough states (26 would be more than half obviously)....they can swoop in with a Final Decision and say "More than half the States allow same-sex marriage now and there are 10s of 1000s of such marriages already in existance and legal.....we cannot rule half the country and all those marriages null and void." Not an "official endorsement"....just a recognition of reality and acceptance of it so that guys like Roberts and Alito don't catch too much hell.
I agree. In the Oregon case, there's also the fact that no one with the standing to do so would defend it. Been there, done that already with California's Prop 8.
Clearly a black-eye for NOM...and an indication of where Oregon will go. BTW, don't imagine dixon will show up on this thread....until he can talk about anything ELSE but the Supreme Court ruliing.
On a side note, isn't it ironic that the National Organization for Marriage fights against marriage so vociferously? Perhaps a name change should be in order for them. I would suggest the following. National Organization for Marriage of Straight (or pretending to be) People Only.
Again, it's like those pro-corporate groups who call themselves "Americans For Individual Freedom".....but support corporations being able to run rough-shod over individuals. Or the "Future Energy Solutions" group....whose ONLY "solution" is...oil and gas drilling and coal....i.e. energy that dates back 200 years.
if you ask me, the national organization of marraige should rename themselves the National Organization of Fascists Dedicated to Forcing Everyone Else to Agree With US and Dictating The Rights of All, and Banning Everything We Disagree With.
By the time, they get done telling you who they are.....marriage equality will already be nation-wide.
