Marriage in Florida in January?

Timothy Kincaid

December 3rd, 2014

Florida couples, set your calendars.

In July, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel found that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage was a violation of the US Constitution. That ruling was put on hold until July January 5, 2015, in order to give the state time to appeal.

The state appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and also asked that the circuit court extend the stay on the ruling until such time as the appeal could be heard and determined.

Equality Florida is now reporting:

The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has denied the state’s motion to extend the stay, which means Judge Hinkle’s stay expires end of day on January 5th and marriages begin!

The state may now request an extension of the stay from the Supreme Court. Barring that unlikely event, marriages will begin in the first week on the new year in the Sunshine State.

Stefan

December 3rd, 2014

It’s January 5th the ruling is on hold until, not July 5th.

Timothy Kincaid

December 3rd, 2014

Thanks, Stefan. That typo made the whole thing nonsense.

Fritz Keppler

December 4th, 2014

Does the fact that the 11th Circuit is overseen by Clarence Thomas make it easier for him as one of the most vehement opponents of marriage equality to extend the stay under his own power?

enough already

December 4th, 2014

I should not be the least bit surprised to see Justice Thomas depart from the by now ‘standard’ of referring the matter to the entire court and deciding for himself.
I needn’t bother writing what he will decide.

We’re on a knife’s very edge with this court. One sad event and the few gains we’ve made of civil and human rights in this country will be lost for generations.

What a pity more gays and young women don’t vote against the Republican terror.

Customartist

December 4th, 2014

All those gay couples should send Pam Bondi an invitation

enough already

December 4th, 2014

Customartist,
They should send her an invite…followed one day later by a second note:
Dear Ms.Bondi,
We regret to inform you that your invitation to our ceremony has been withdrawn.
Only those who respect the bond of marriage may be invited to our wedding. As a twice divorced woman, now living with a man outside the bans of marriage, we are sure you will understand.

Seriously, of all the Christian haters we have had to deal with, I think this woman is the worst.

Timothy Kincaid

December 4th, 2014

I know we cannot take SCOTUS for granted, but I think this court may well wish to avoid a repeat of Bowers. That was one of the very few cases that have been completely reversed and it’s a huge stain and embarrassment on the court.

Timothy Kincaid

December 4th, 2014

I’m surprised at the strong abhorrence of Bondi.

She refused to go down the “gays are bad and will ruin marriage” road. In fact, she hasn’t said anything hateful at all that I’m aware of.

Her sole legal argument has been that a state has the right to pass its own laws. Her legal filings have been about the least objectionable that I’ve seen from any state.

She also is trying to fast-track this case so that it will be decided “for once and for all”.

Frankly, from everything I’ve seen, I think Bondi wants to lose.

So I don’t get the anger and animus that I see across the net towards her.

Mark F.

December 4th, 2014

It’s a perfectly valid argument to say the citizens of Florida have the right to pass bad laws. (I don’t agree with the argument in this case, however.)

As an example: It would be perfectly legal for Florida to pass a flat state income tax of 40%. Bad law? Yes. Unconstitutional? Nope.

enough already

December 5th, 2014

Timothy,
Of course you don’t get it. You are simply incapable of imagining that anyone could be as hate-driven as these Christian are.
It says a lot of good things about you, but it also reflects a perspective which is out of sync with reality.
She is a hypocritical monster. One of the worst we’ve ever encountered.

Chris McCoy

December 5th, 2014

Timothy Kincaid said:

She refused to go down the “gays are bad and will ruin marriage” road. In fact, she hasn’t said anything hateful at all that I’m aware of.

Except that she did, or at least her office argued as such in Court.

Frankly, from everything I’ve seen, I think Bondi wants to lose.

If she wanted to lose, she could simply have not appealed.

Timothy Kincaid

December 5th, 2014

EA,

No, there are some real nasty characters out there. Quite a few. And I have no trouble seeing them.

But Bondi is no where near Sam Brownback or Butch Otter or Derek Schmidt.

Chris

I didn’t hunt up and read the motion. BUt the site you linked didn’t show her going down the “gays are bad and will ruin marriage” road or saying something hateful.

It quoted her as saying that recognizing same-sex marriage would “impose significant public harm” because “society’s legitimate interest in increasing the likelihood that children will be born to and raised by the mothers and fathers who produced them.”

Sure, the implied notion that gay families will be less desirable than mom-dad families is offensive. And the connection between banning gay marriage and keeping heteros married is non-existent.

But this is about as mild a defense as you can present. So much so that it pissed off the phobes who were calling for her head.

As for not appealing (as Martinez did) or dropping any state support for the appeal (as Sandoval did), I agree that they are much much better options.

I don’t see Bondi as an ally in any way. But I also don’t see her as a hater.

Her voters expect her to defend the law (which, as Charles Cooper showed us can be done irrespective of what one believes). And she may even be ideologically opposed to equality. But she’s not a frothing mouthed rabid dog like those I mentioned above.

I see her as someone who sees this as political dynamite and desperately wants some court to rule on it before it all blows up in her face.

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