In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down portions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The repercussions of that ruling echo in a lawsuit brought by six Florida couples against a state ban on same-sex marriage.
In January of this year, a complaint was filed against Harvey Ruvin, the Clerk of the Courts of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Parties to the complaint include six couples who were denied a marriage license by the clerk of the court.
Following the filing of the complaint, the parties filed a Memorandum and Motion for Summary Judgment. The pleading argues that the Florida ban on same-sex marriage violates their rights under the U.S. Constitution.
Legal arguments of the Motion state that:
Fueled by the DOMA decision, challenges to same-sex marriage bans are moving forward in Utah and Oklahoma. Similarly, the Florida case uses the federal ruling to underpin the argument to overturn our state ban on same-sex marriage.
When you have questions about family law issues affecting a member of the LGBT*QIAP+ community in north Florida, speak with one of our Jacksonville family law attorneys.
Jacksonville, Florida family law attorney Andrea Jevic also contributed to this blog post.