PERRY v. BROWN

Nos. 10-16696, 11-16577.

671 F.3d 1052 (2012)

Kristin M. PERRY; Sandra B. Stier; Paul T. Katami; Jeffrey J. Zarrillo, Plaintiffs-Appellees, City and County of San Francisco, Intervenor-Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Edmund G. BROWN, Jr., in his official capacity as Governor of California; Kamala D. Harris, in her official capacity as Attorney General of California; Mark B. Horton, in his official capacity as Director of the California Department of Public Health & State Registrar of Vital Statistics; Linette Scott, in her official capacity as Deputy Director of Health Information & Strategic Planning for the California Department of Public Health; Patrick O'Connell, in his official capacity as Clerk-Recorder for the County of Alameda; Dean C. Logan, in his official capacity as Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for the County of Los Angeles, Defendants, Hak-Shing William Tam, Intervenor-Defendant, and Dennis Hollingsworth; Gail J. Knight; Martin F. Gutierrez; Mark A. Jansson; ProtectMarriage.com-Yes On 8, a Project of California Renewal, as official proponents of Proposition 8, Intervenor-Defendants-Appellants. Kristin M. Perry; Sandra B. Stier; Paul T. Katami; Jeffrey J. Zarrillo, Plaintiffs-Appellees, City and County of San Francisco, Intervenor-Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Edmund G. Brown, Jr., in his official capacity as Governor of California; Kamala D. Harris, in her official capacity as Attorney General of California; Mark B. Horton, in his official capacity as Director of the California Department of Public Health & State Registrar of Vital Statistics; Linette Scott, in her official capacity as Deputy Director of Health Information & Strategic Planning for the California Department of Public Health; Patrick O'Connell, in his official capacity as Clerk-Recorder for the County of Alameda; Dean C. Logan, in his official capacity as Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for the County of Los Angeles, Defendants, Hak-Shing William Tam, Intervenor-Defendant, and Dennis Hollingsworth; Gail J. Knight; Martin F. Gutierrez; Mark A. Jansson; ProtectMarriage.com-Yes On 8, a Project of California Renewal, as official proponents of Proposition 8, Intervenor-Defendants-Appellants.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Submission Withdrawn January 4, 2011.

Resubmitted February 7, 2012.

Argued and Submitted December 8, 2011.

Filed February 7, 2012.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. , Christopher D. Dusseault , Theane Evangelis Kapur , Sarah E. Piepmeier , Enrique A. Monagas , and Joshua S. Lipshutz , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Theodore B. Olson (argued), Matthew D. McGill , and Amir C. Tayrani , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Washington, D.C.; David Boies (argued), Jeremy M. Goldman , and Theodore H. Uno , Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Armonk, NY; for plaintiffs-appellees Kristin M. Perry, Sandra B. Stier, Paul T. Katami, and Jeffrey J. Zarrillo.

Dennis J. Herrera , City Attorney; Therese M. Stewart (argued), Chief Deputy City Attorney; Christine Van Aken and Mollie M. Lee , Deputy City Attorneys; San Francisco, CA; for intervenor-plaintiff-appellee City and County of San Francisco.

Andrew P. Pugno , Law Offices of Andrew P. Pugno, Folsom, CA; Charles J. Cooper (argued), David H. Thompson , Howard C. Nielson, Jr. , and Peter A. Patterson , Cooper and Kirk, PLLC, Washington, D.C.; Brian W. Raum and James A. Campbell , Alliance Defense Fund, Scottsdale, AZ; for intervenor-defendants-appellants Dennis Hollingsworth, Gail J. Knight, Martin F. Gutierrez, Mark A. Jansson, and ProtectMarriage.com.

James Joseph Lynch, Jr. , Sacramento, CA; for amicus curiae Margie Reilly.

Paul Benjamin Linton , Thomas More Society, Northbrook, IL; Christopher M. Gacek , Family Research Council, Washington, D.C.; Thomas Brejcha , Thomas More Society, Chicago, IL; for amicus curiae the Family Research Council.

Kelly J. Shackelford , Jeffrey C. Mateer , Hiriam S. Sasser, III , and Justin E. Butterfield , Liberty Institute, Plano, TX; for amici curiae Liberty Institute, Association of Maryland Families, California Family Council, Center for Arizona Policy, Citizens for Community Values, Cornerstone Action, Cornerstone Family Council, Delaware Family Policy Council, Family Action Council of Tennessee, the Family Foundation, the Family Policy Council of West Virginia, Family Policy Institute of Washington, Florida Family Policy Council, Georgia Family Council, Illinois Family Institute, Independence Law Center, Iowa Family Policy Center, Louisiana Family Forum Action, Massachusetts Family Institute, Michigan Family Forum, Minnesota Family Council, Missouri Family Policy Council, Montana Family Foundation, New Jersey Family First, New Jersey Family Policy Council, North Carolina Family Policy Council, Oklahoma Family Policy Council, Oregon Family Council, Palmetto Family Council, Pennsylvania Family Institute, Wisconsin Family Action, and Wywatch Family Action.

Lynn D. Wardle , Marriage Law Project, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Provo, UT; Stephen Kent Ehat , Lindon, UT; Lincoln C. Oliphant , Columbus School of Law, the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.; for amici curiae High Impact Leadership Coalition, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, and the Frederick Douglass Foundation, Inc.

Dean R. Broyles and James M. Griffiths , the Western Center for Law & Policy, Escondido, CA; for amici curiae Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Desert Stream Ministries.

M. Edward Whelan III , Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Mary E. McAlister , Stephen M. Crampton , and Rena M. Lindevaldsen , Liberty Counsel, Lynchburg, VA; Matthew D. Staver and Anita L. Staver , Liberty Counsel, Orlando, FL; for amici curiae Liberty Counsel, Campaign for Children and Families, and JONAH Inc.

Jay Alan Sekulow , Stuart J. Roth , and Walter M. Weber , American Center for Law & Justice, Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae the American Center for Law and Justice.

Donald W. MacPherson , the MacPherson Group, Phoenix, AZ; for amicus curiae the Hausvater Project.

Matthew B. McReynolds and Kevin T. Snider , Pacific Justice Institute, Sacramento, CA; for amicus curiae Pacific Justice Institute.

Von G. Keetch , Alexander Dushku , and R. Shawn Gunnarson , Kirton & McConkie, Salt Lake City, UT; Anthony R. Picarello, Jr. , Jeffrey Hunter Moon , and Michael F. Moses , U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C.; Carl H. Esbeck , National Association of Evangelicals, Washington, D.C.; James F. Sweeney , Sweeney & Greene LLP, Elk Grove, CA; for amici curiae United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, California Catholic Conference, National Association of Evangelicals, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Calvary Chapel Fellowship of Ministries of California, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Coral Ridge Ministries, the Council of Korean Churches in Southern California, Southern California Korean Ministers Association, and Holy Movement for America.

Kristen K. Waggoner and Steven T. O'Ban , Ellis, Li & McKinstry PLLC, Seattle, WA; for amici curiae Robert P. George, Sherif Girgis, and Ryan T. Anderson.

Gary G. Kreep , United States Justice Foundation, Ramona, CA; for amicus curiae National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH).

Abram J. Pafford , Pafford, Lawrence & Ross, PLLC, Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae American College of Pediatricians.

John C. Eastman , Anthony T. Caso , and Karen J. Lugo , Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, Orange, CA; for amicus curiae Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence.

Kevin J. Hasson and Lori H. Windham , the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Steven W. Fitschen , the National Legal Foundation, Virginia Beach, VA; for amicus curiae National Legal Foundation.

Lawrence J. Joseph , Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund.

Holly L. Carmichael , Los Gatos, CA; for amicus curiae Concerned Women of America.

William C. Duncan , Marriage Law Foundation, Lehi, UT; Joshua K. Baker , National Organization for Marriage, Washington, D.C.; for amici curiae National Organization for Marriage, National Organization for Marriage Rhode Island, and Family Leader.

Herbert G. Grey , Beaverton, OR; for amicus curiae Paul McHugh.

Eugene Dong , Palo Alto, CA; for amicus curiae Eugene Dong.

Gregory F. Zoeller , Attorney General; Thomas M. Fischer , Solicitor General; and Ellen H. Meilaender , Deputy Attorney General, State of Indiana; Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II , Attorney General; E. Duncan Getchell , Solicitor General; and Stephen McCullough , Deputy Solicitor General, State of Virginia; Michael A. Cox , Attorney General and Eric Restuccia , Solicitor General, State of Michigan; James D. Caldwell , Attorney General and Kyle Duncan , Appellate Chief, State of Louisiana; Troy King , Attorney General, State of Alabama; Daniel S. Sullivan , Attorney General, State of Alaska; Bill McCollum , Attorney General, State of Florida; Lawrence G. Wasden , Attorney General, State of Idaho; Jon Bruning , Attorney General, State of Nebraska; Thomas W. Corbett, Jr. , Attorney General, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Henry McMaster , Attorney General, State of South Carolina; Mark L. Shurtleff , Attorney General, State of Utah; Bruce A. Salzburg , Attorney General, State of Wyoming; for amici curiae States of Indiana, Virginia, Louisiana, Michigan, Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming.

Kenneth A. Klukowski , American Civil Rights Union, Alexandria, VA; for amicus curiae American Civil Rights Union.

Richard G. Katerndahl , San Rafael, CA; for amicus curiae Catholics for the Common Good.

Jerome C. Roth , Michelle Friedland , Mark R. Conrad , and Miriam L. Seifter , Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, Alameda County Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Marin County Bar Association, Santa Clara County Bar Association, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, API Equality—LA, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County, Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Bay Area Association of Muslim Lawyers, California Employment Lawyers Association, California Women's Law Center, East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association, Equal Justice Society, Family Equality Council, Filipino Bar Association of Northern California, Freedom to Marry, Impact Fund, Japanese American Bar Association of Greater Los Angeles, Korean American Bar Association of Northern California, Latina and Latino Critical Legal Theory, Inc., Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Marriage Equality USA, Mexican American Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, People for the American Way Foundation, Queen's Bench Bar Association, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Santa Clara County Black Lawyers Association, Society of American Law Teachers, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, Transgender Law Center, and Women Lawyers of Alameda County.

Elizabeth B. Wydra , David H. Gans , Douglas T. Kendall , and Judith E. Schaeffer , Constitutional Accountability Center, Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae Constitutional Accountability Center.

Daniel H. Squire , Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Washington, D.C.; Alan E. Schoenfeld , David Sapir Lesser , and Erin G.H. Sloane , Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, New York, NY; for amici curiae Legislators from United States Jurisdictions That Have Legalized Same-Sex Marriage.

Nathalie F.P. Gilfoyle , American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.; Paul M. Smith , William M. Hohengarten , and Julia K. Martinez , Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, D.C.; for amici curiae American Psychological Association, the California Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Laura W. Brill , Nicholas F. Daum , and Richard M. Simon , Kendall Brill & Klieger LLP, Los Angeles, CA; for amicus curiae Jon B. Eisenberg.

Herma Hill Kay , University of California—Berkeley School of Law, Berkeley, CA; Michael S. Wald , Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA; for amici curiae California Professors of Family Law.

Aderson Francois , Howard University School of Law Civil Rights Clinic, Washington, D.C.; Ayesha N. Khan , Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington D.C.; Brad W. Seiling , Kathryn A.B. Bartow , and Benjamin G. Shatz , Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Jon B. Streeter , Susan J. Harriman , and Jo W. Golub , Keker & Van Nest, LLP, San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae Howard University School of Law Civil Rights Clinic and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Justin Ford , O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Walter Dellinger , Jonathan D. Hacker , Sarah Goldfrank , and Anton Metlitsky , O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Washington, D.C.; for amicus curiae National LGBT Bar Association.

Martha Coakley , Attorney General; Maura T. Healey , Jonathan B. Miller , and Christopher K. Barry-Smith , Assistant Attorneys General, Boston, MA; for amicus curiae the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Christopher L. Lebsock and Arthur N. Bailey, Jr. , Hausfeld LLP, San Francisco, CA; for amicus curiae the California Teachers Association.

Steven M. Freeman , Steven C. Sheinberg , Deborah Besinger , and Michelle Deutchman , Anti-Defamation League, New York, NY; Victoria F. Maroulis , Anna T. Neill , and Brett J. Arnold , Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, Redwood Shores, CA; for amicus curiae Anti-Defamation League.

John Payton , Debo P. Adegbile , and Dale E. Ho , NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., New York, NY; for amicus curiae NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.

Kathleen M. O'Sullivan and Abha Khanna , Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, WA; for amici curiae Professors William N. Eskridge, Jr., Bruce A. Ackerman, Rebecca L. Brown, Daniel A. Farber, Kenneth L. Karst, and Andrew Koppelman.

Sonya D. Winner , Bruce R. Deming , David M. Jolley , and John D. Freed , Covington & Burling LLP, San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae American Anthropological Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter, American Sociological Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics, California.

Jon W. Davidson , Jennifer C. Pizer , and Tara L. Borelli , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; Alan L. Schlosser and Elizabeth O. Gill , ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA; Shannon P. Minter , Christopher F. Stoll , and Ilona M. Turner , National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae ACLU Foundation of Northern California, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., and National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Eric Alan Isaacson , San Diego, CA; Stacey M. Kaplan , San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae California Faith for Equality, California Council of Churches, General Synod of the United Church of Christ, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, the Episcopal Bishops of California and Los Angeles, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis, Unitarian Universalist Association, and Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry California.

David C. Codell , Linda M. Burrow , Albert Giang , and Benjamin A. Au , Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, PC, Los Angeles, CA; for amicus curiae Equality California.

Diana E. Richmond and Louis P. Feuchtbaum , Sideman & Bancroft LLP, San Francisco, CA; Richard B. Rosenthal , the Law Offices of Richard B. Rosenthal, P.A., San Rafael, CA; for amici curiae Donald B. King, Justice (Ret.) and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Northern California Chapter).

Elizabeth J. Cabraser , Kelly M. Dermody , Brendan P. Glackin , Anne Shaver , and Alison Stocking , Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, San Francisco, CA; Rachel Geman , Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, New York, NY; for amici curiae Professors Bryan Adamson, Janet Cooper Alexander, Barbara A. Atwood, Barbara Babcock, Erwin Chemerinsky, Joshua P. Davis, David L. Faigman, Pamela S. Karlan, Toni M. Massaro, Arthur Miller, David Oppenheimer, Judith Resnik, Fred Smith, and Larry Yackle.

Scott Wm. Davenport , Jason J. Molnar , Darin L. Wessel , and Peter C. Catalanotti , Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez LLP, Irvine, CA; for amicus curiae the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Peter Obstler , Jee Young You , Suneeta D. Fernandes , and Doug Karpa , Bingham McCutchen LLP, San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae Asian American Justice Center, Asian Law Caucus, Asian American Institute, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, API Equality, California Conference of the NAACP, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Korematsu Center at Seattle University, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Zuna Institute.

Susan M. Popik and Merri A. Baldwin , Chapman, Popik & White LLP, San Francisco, CA; Suzanne B. Goldberg , Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Sexuality & Gender Law Clinic, Columbia Law School, New York, NY; for amici curiae National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, American Humanist Association, and Courage Campaign Institute.

David Boies (argued), Jeremy M. Goldman , and Theodore H. Uno , Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Armonk, NY; Theodore B. Olson , Matthew D. McGill , and Amir C. Tayrani , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Washington, D.C.; Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. , Christopher D. Dusseault , Theane Evangelis Kapur , Enrique A. Monagas , and Joshua S. Lipshutz , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Los Angeles, CA; for plaintiffs-appellees Kristin M. Perry, Sandra B. Stier, Paul T. Katami, and Jeffrey J. Zarrillo.

Dennis J. Herrera , Therese M. Stewart (argued), and Christine Van Aken , City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; for intervenor-plaintiff-appellee City and County of San Francisco.

Andrew P. Pugno , Law Offices of Andrew P. Pugno, Folsom, CA; Charles J. Cooper (argued), David H. Thompson , Howard C. Nielson, Jr. , and Peter A. Patterson , Cooper and Kirk, PLLC, Washington, D.C.; Brian W. Raum and James A. Campbell , Alliance Defense Fund, Scottsdale, AZ; for intervenor-defendants-appellants Dennis Hollingsworth, Gail J. Knight, Martin F. Gutierrez, Mark A. Jansson, and ProtectMarriage.com.

Jon W. Davidson , Tara L. Borelli , and Peter C. Renn , Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Los Angeles, CA; Shannon P. Minter , Christopher F. Stoll , and Ilona M. Turner , National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, CA; Alan L. Schlosser and Elizabeth O. Gill , ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA; for amici curiae Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, National Center for Lesbian Rights, ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and Equality California.

David M. Balabanian , Frank Busch , Elizabeth Benson , and Kathryn Conrad , Bingham McCutchen LLP, San Francisco, CA; for amicus curiae the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Opinion by Judge REINHARDT; Partial Concurrence and Partial Dissent by Judge N.R. SMITH.


OPINION

REINHARDT, Circuit Judge:

Prior to November 4, 2008, the California Constitution guaranteed the right to marry to opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples alike. On that day, the People of California adopted Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. We consider whether that amendment violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. We conclude that it does.

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