Will the will of Calif. voters on marriage stand?
“This case is as much about whether our government is of, by, and for the people as it is about marriage,” Raum said. “Just imagine how our country would change if every state constitutional amendment could be eliminated by small groups of wealthy activists. It would no longer be America, but a tyranny of elitists.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Attorneys representing ProtectMarriage.com will be available for media interviews before, during, and after closing arguments in the trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a lawsuit seeking to overturn the will of California voters by striking down a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are co-counsel in the lawsuit together with lead counsel Charles J. Cooper and ADF-allied attorney Andrew Pugno, who represents the official proponents and campaign committee of Proposition 8. ADF will also be blogging live from the trial.
“In America, we should respect and uphold the right of a free people to make policy choices through the democratic process,” said ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum. “More than 7 million Californians decided that marriage should be preserved, not fundamentally changed. If a handful of activists is allowed to void a constitutional amendment protecting marriage, we have gutted the core of the American democratic system and will deny more children the mom and the dad they deserve.”
In May 2009, attorneys representing two men and two women who didn’t like the outcome of the vote on Proposition 8 filed suit against the new amendment, challenging its constitutionality. Amendment defenders were allowed to intervene in the lawsuit in July. Opening oral arguments in the trial were held in January.
“This case is as much about whether our government is of, by, and for the people as it is about marriage,” Raum said. “Just imagine how our country would change if every state constitutional amendment could be eliminated by small groups of wealthy activists. It would no longer be America, but a tyranny of elitists.”
“The right of California voters to simply affirm a common-sense, historic public policy position is on trial,” Pugno added. “Our legal team is working feverishly to win this trial, but we are prepared to fight with every ounce of energy all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.”
A recent study conducted by Yale University supports the common-sense position that children, all things being equal, should be raised with their own mom and dad: 81 percent believe that society should do everything possible to encourage the ideal of children being raised by their mom and dad, 57 percent believe the law should encourage that children be raised by a mom and a dad, 68 percent worry about the decline of the traditional family, and 70 percent believe that a man-woman relationship is important in teaching children about how men and women interact.
- Fact sheet on the case
- Perry v. Schwarzenegger resource page
- ADF defense of marriage legal information Web site
- Pronunciation guide: Raum (Rom), Pugno (Poon-yo)
Note: Facts in ADF news releases are verified prior to publication but may change over time. Members of the media are encouraged to contact ADF for the latest information on this matter.
Help Make A Difference By Sharing These Articles On Facebook, Twitter And Elsewhere:
