FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 24, 2014
CONTACT: ACLU of Florida Media Office, media@aclufl.org, (786) 363-2737
TALLAHASSEE, FL – This afternoon, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office filed a motion to keep a stay in place in a federal court’s decision striking down Florida’s marriage ban as unconstitutional.
On August 21st, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued a ruling striking down Florida’s marriage ban in two federal lawsuits – one brought by the ACLU of Florida on behalf of eight couples, a Ft. Myers widow, and SAVE, South Florida’s largest LGBT rights organization; the other brought by Jacksonville attorneys William Sheppard and Sam Jacobson – though the court put a stay on that decision.
On October 7, in response to the decision by the United States Supreme Court to decline to hear arguments in other marriage cases, the ACLU of Florida filed a motion asking Judge Hinkle to lift the stay. Today was the deadline for the state to respond to that motion.
In response to today’s filing by the State of Florida, ACLU of Florida LGBT rights staff attorney Daniel Tilley stated:
“It’s disappointing that Attorney General Bondi and Gov. Rick Scott have chosen to continue to swim against the tide of inevitable history and block Florida families from having the protections that come with being married.
“We are hopeful that the court will reject the state’s effort to keep the stay in place and allow marriages to go forward and be recognized in Florida.”
“Love won in Florida when Judge Hinkle ruled in favor of the families in our case. Whatever obligation Attorney General Bondi felt she had to continue defending this unconstitutional and discriminatory ban ended that day.”
Referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s response to the ACLU’s Motion to lift the stay, ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon said:
“This is how an Attorney General uses the law to serve an ideology and partisan politics, rather than justice.”
A copy of the state’s motion is available here: https://aclufl.org/resources/states-motion-to-continue-stay-pending-appeal-in-grimsley-marriage-case/
The ACLU’s October 7th motion to lift the stay is available here: http://aclufl.org/resources/motion-to-lift-stay-in-grimsley-v-scott-marriage-case/
Attorneys from the ACLU, the ACLU of Florida and the Podhurst Orseck law firm represent eight same-sex couples, a widow from Ft. Myers, and SAVE, South Florida’s largest LGBT rights organization, in a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s marriage ban. More information on the case is available at: www.aclufl.org/marriageequality
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