Lawyers Weigh In On High Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Silence
Lawyers Weigh In On High Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Silence
Law360
October 6, 2014
As seen in this article, “The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear seven petitions seeking review of lower court rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans in five states, preserving decisions that effectively rendered gay marriage legal in Indiana, Wisconsin, Utah, Virginia and Oklahoma. Here, attorneys tell Law360 why the Supreme Court denials are significant.
‘The immediate significance of today’s action by the U.S. Supreme Court is that the lower appellate court decisions in the various circuits remain in place. Rejection of a petition for certiorari is not a decision on the merits by the high court. Whether the court grants future petitions, assuming they are filed, might depend on whether a split develops among the lower appellate courts. For now, the high court appears satisfied in allowing the various circuit courts to rule without the high court’s intervention.’ -Peter G. Verniero, Sills Cummis & Gross”
