OBERGEFELL v. HODGES

Nos. 14-556, 14-562, 14-571, 14-574.

135 S.Ct. 2584 (2015)

192 L.Ed.2d 609

James OBERGEFELL, et al., Petitioners v. Richard HODGES, Director, Ohio Department of Health, et al.; Valeria Tanco, et al., Petitioners v. Bill Haslam, Governor of Tennessee, et al.; April DeBoer, et al., Petitioners v. Rick Snyder, Governor of Michigan, et al.; and Gregory Bourke, et al., Petitioners v. Steve Beshear, Governor of Kentucky.

Supreme Court of United States.

Decided June 26, 2015.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Mary L. Bonauto , for the petitioners.

Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. , Solicitor General, for the United States as amicus curiae, by special leave of the Court, supporting the petitioners.

John J. Bursch , Grand Rapids, MI, for the respondents.

Douglas Hallward-Driemeier , Washington, DC, for the petitioners.

Susan L. Sommer , M. Currey Cook , Omar Gonzalez-Pagan , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., New York, NY, for Henry Petitioners.

James D. Esseks , Steven R. Shapiro , Joshua A. Block , Chase B. Strangio , Ria Tabacco Mar , Louise Melling , American Civil Liberties, Union Foundation, New York, NY, for Obergefell Petitioners.

Alphonse A. Gerhardstein , Counsel of Record, Jennifer L. Branch , Jacklyn Gonzales Martin , Adam Gingold Gerhardstein , Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA, Cincinnati, OH, Jon W. Davidson , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, Paul D. Castillo , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Dallas, TX, Camilla B. Taylor , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Chicago, IL, Ellen Essig Katz , Greenberger & Norton, LLP, Cincinnati, OH, for Henry Petitioners.

Freda J. Levenson , Drew S. Dennis , ACLU of Ohio, Inc., Cleveland, OH, for Obergefell Petitioners.

Lisa T. Meeks , Newman & Meeks Co., LPA, Cincinnati, OH, for All Petitioners.

Michael Dewine , Attorney General of Ohio, Eric E. Murphy , Counsel of Record, State Solicitor, Stephen P. Carney , Peter T. Reed , Deputy Solicitors, Columbus, OH, for Respondent.

Abby R. Rubenfeld , Rubenfeld Law Office, PC, Nashville, TN, William L. Harbison , Phillip F. Cramer , J. Scott Hickman , John L. Farringer , Sherrard & Roe, PLC, Nashville, TN, Maureen T. Holland , Holland & Assoc., PC, Memphis, TN, Regina M. Lambert , Knoxville, TN, Douglas Hallward-Driemeier , Counsel of Record, Ropes & Gray LLP, Washington, DC, Christopher Thomas Brown , Justin G. Florence , Ropes & Gray LLP, Boston, MA, Shannon P. Minter , David C. Codell , Christopher F. Stoll , Amy Whelan , Asaf Orr , National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, CA, Paul S. Kellogg , Ropes & Gray LLP, New York, NY, Samira A. Omerovic , Emerson A. Siegle , John T. Dey , Ropes & Gray LLP, Washington, DC, Joshua E. Goldstein , Ropes & Gray LLP, Boston, MA, for Valeria Tanco, et al., Petitioners.

Herbert H. Slatery III , Attorney General, State of Tennessee, Joseph F. Whalen , Associate Solicitor General, Counsel of Record, Martha A. Campbell , Kevin G. Stelling , Deputy Attorneys General, Alexander S. Rieger , Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, Nashville, TN, for William Haslam, et al., Respondents.

Kenneth M. Mogill , Mogill, Posner & Cohen, Lake Orion, MI, Dana M. Nessel , Nessel & Kessel Law, Detroit, MI, Mary L. Bonauto , Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Boston, MA, Carole M. Stanyar , Counsel of Record, Arm Arbor, MI, Robert A. Sedler , Wayne State University Law School, Detroit, MI, for April Deboer, et al., Petitioners.

Bill Schuette , Michigan Attorney General, Aaron D. Lindstrom , Solicitor General, B. Eric Restuecia , Deputy Solicitor General, Ann Sherman , Assistant Solicitor General, John J. Bursch , Special Assistant Attorney General, Counsel of Record, Lansing, MI, for Richard Snyder, Governor, State of Michigan, in his official capacity, et al., Respondents.

James D. Esseks , Steven R. Shapiro , Joshua A. Block , Chase B. Strangio , Leslie Cooper , Louise Melling , American Civil Liberties, New York, NY, Jeffrey L. Fisher , Brian Wolfman , Stanford Law School, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford, CA, William E. Sharp , American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, Louisville, KY, Daniel J. Canon , Counsel of Record, Laura E. Landenwich , L. Joe Dunman , Clay Daniel Walton Adams, PLC, Louisville, KY, Shannon Fauver , Dawn Elliott , Fauver Law Office, PLLC, Louisville, KY, for Gregory Bourke, et al., and Timothy Love, et al., Petitioners.

Leigh Gross Latherow , Counsel of Record, William H. Jones, Jr. , Gregory L. Monge , VanAntwerp, Monge, Jones, Edwards & McCann, LLP, Ashland, KY, for Steve Beshear, in His Official Capacity as Governor of Kentucky, Respondent.


The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity. The petitioners in these cases seek to find that liberty by marrying someone of the same sex and having their...

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