New York’s highest court rules in favor of marriage
ADF lauds victory as one that will ‘echo’ in America’s courtroomsALBANY, N.Y. — In a historic victory, the New York Court of Appeals today ruled 4-2 against an attempt to redefine marriage in the Empire State. The court agreed that a decision on the issue should be left to the state’s legislature. ADF filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Hernandez v. Robles on behalf of the Family Research Council. In a 2005 ruling, a state intermediate appeals court called marriage a “cultural, social and legal” ideal.
“Marriage has become an emotionally charged issue because some courts have catered to political special interests. But the judges in New York’s highest court showed judicial restraint, and today’s win will echo loudly through America’s courtrooms,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Chris Stovall. “This decision, by what the New York Times referred to on July 5th as one of the ‘more progressive’ courts in the country, shows just how radical the infamous Massachusetts decision to legalize same-sex marriage was.”
ADF filed friend-of-the-court briefs at the middle appellate level in all five marriage cases in the state of New York, including Hernandez v. Robles. Four of the five cases were heard before the state’s highest court, the New York Court of Appeals, in May. A fifth case, Shields v. Madigan, remains pending at the appellate level.
A copy of the friend-of-the-court brief ADF filed jointly on April 20 in the cases of Hernandez v. Robles, Samuels v. Dept. of Health, Kane v. Marsolais, and Seymour v. Holcomb can be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/RoblesAmicus.pdf.
The decision today may be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/RoblesDecision.pdf.
“Marriage is not merely a ‘commitment’ between consenting adults, nor is it a financial system designed to provide benefits to ‘loving’ couples,” Stovall said. “As a historical institution that has stood for thousands of years, marriage offers inestimable benefits to society. It unites men and women in stable lifelong relationships so that children will be raised by their mothers and their fathers as often as possible. For this reason alone, the state has a legitimate, indeed a compelling, interest in supporting marriage between one man and one woman.”
For more information on the battle to protect marriage, visit www.domawatch.org.
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
