Two downstate county clerks have been granted the right to intervene and defend the state’s ban on same-sex marriage against two lawsuits that claim the ban is unconstitutional.A motion to intervene filed by the Thomas More Society — a public interest law firm that opposes same-sex marriage — was granted this morning by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sophia Hall. The motion was unopposed by the gay rights group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the groups that filed the lawsuits at the end of May.
The Thomas More Society will be representing clerk Christie Webb of Tazewell County in central Illinois and clerk Kerry Hirtzel of Effingham County in southern Illinois.
The Cook County state's attorney and the Illinois attorney general have said they agree with the lawsuits, so it was expected that an outside group would attempt to step in and defend the state's marriage laws, which bar same-sex couples from getting marriage licenses.
“We will have a full and robust defense of the marriage law,” Peter Breen, the society's executive director and legal counsel, said after today’s hearing.
Breen has also filed a motion to dismiss the complaints brought by Lambda Legal and the ACLU. The judge set a hearing on that motion for Sept. 27.
8 Comments
I hope that the 2 county clerks win. No one should be forced to recognize a sick & perverted lifestyle.
Duties of the Cook County State's Attorney, from the Civil Actions Bureau website:
The Civil Actions Bureau represents the interests of Cook County, defends county office holders and employees in lawsuits and represents the county in actions brought to collect funds owed for taxes and fees.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez is not doing her job
Another disgusting attempt to impose SSM through judicial activism. This is how it happened in MA. The people had no say in this. It was just lawyers and activists bypassing the citizens and trying to get the courts to shove this down our throats.
This is why they voted in NC and why the vote is needed in MN. To stop this kind of thing. This is why a vote is needed in IL, PA, and other states to prevent this type of thing from being imposed on the citizens.
We need to vote in every state AZ PA NY etc.
Arizona already has a marriage amendment.
In other words - two Illinois clerks who are unwilling to do their duty to serve the public. If they don't like it - they can quit.
"In other words - two Illinois clerks who are unwilling to do their duty to serve the public. If they don't like it - they can quit."
Any law that forces people to choose between their faith and their livelihood is unconstitutional and MUST be repealed.
"Any law that forces people to choose between their faith and their livelihood is unconstitutional and MUST be repealed."
Then let's bring back Prohibition and outlaw alcohol, alcohol violates Muslim law.