Challenges in Federal Court
Numerous plaintiffs have challenged DOMA. Cases from the middle of the first decade of the 21st century upheld the law:
- In re Kandu, a same-sex couple in the state of Washington, who had married in Canada, attempted to file a joint bankruptcy petition, but were not allowed to do so.
- Wilson v. Ake, an unsuccessful attempt by a Florida same-sex couple, married in Massachusetts, to have their marriage license accepted in Florida.
More recent cases have focused on section 3's definition of marriage. The courts, using different standards, have all found section 3 unconstitutional. Requests for the Supreme Court to hear appeals have been filed in five cases, listed below (with Supreme Court docket numbers):
- Gill v. Office of Personnel Management (12-13 as BLAG v. Gill)
- Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services (12-15 as Dept. of HHS v. Massachusetts, 12-97)
- Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management (12-16 OPM v. Golinski)
- Windsor v. United States (12-63)
- Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management (12-231)
Read more about this topic: Wilson V. Ake
Famous quotes containing the words challenges, federal and/or court:
“A powerful idea communicates some of its strength to him who challenges it.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
“[M]y conception of liberty does not permit an individual citizen or a group of citizens to commit acts of depredation against nature in such a way as to harm their neighbors and especially to harm the future generations of Americans. If many years ago we had had the necessary knowledge, and especially the necessary willingness on the part of the Federal Government, we would have saved a sum, a sum of money which has cost the taxpayers of America two billion dollars.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“As to “Don Juan,” confess ... that it is the sublime of that there sort of writing; it may be bawdy, but is it not good English? It may be profligate, but is it not life, is it not the thing? Could any man have written it who has not lived in the world? and tooled in a post-chaise? in a hackney coach? in a Gondola? against a wall? in a court carriage? in a vis a vis? on a table? and under it?”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)